Home
by Rae1399
Summary: A new story based around Raven and her endeavors as she struggles through life as an adult. Rated M for later chapters and language.
1. Chapter 1

I had a bit of a hiatus. I've gotten a lot of messages/emails regarding new content, and I loved hearing the various ideas from each message. I promise to eventually write a story that incorporates at least a few aspects of each idea. My newer stories will have a song inspired inspiration, much like "Side A". So, for the time being, I'm back. Hope you enjoy this.

-Maddy

 _"_ _I'm tired and I felt it for a while now/_ _In this sea of lonely/ The taste of ink is getting old/ It's four o' clock in the fucking morning/ Each day gets more and more like the last day/ Still I can see it coming/ While I'm standing in the river drowning/ This could be my chance to break out/ This could be my chance to say goodbye/ At last it's finally over/ Couldn't take this town much longer/ Being half dead wasn't what I planned to be/ Now I'm ready to be free."_ The Used- "The Taste of Ink"

Each morning is getting harder. I'm getting sick of waking up to black hair on the pillowcases and slipping on water left on the floor. Living with him was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and in hindsight, the worst decision of my life.

Living out of the tower and like a normal person was supposed to be a huge step up from my teenage years, but now I just want to run the entire way to the gigantic 'T' and take the elevator the entire way up to my old room and never turn back. I bet it still smells like sage and lavender, the way I like it. Not like fish and dirty ocean water.

The year lease is up in two days, and I have yet to decide if I'm finally going to stand up to Aqualad and tell him how I really feel about the half-assed nautical themed bathroom, or the mold that's grown seemingly everywhere due to the dampness in the apartment. I want to finally leave, tell him that I can't handle this anymore, and that none of this is my fault, but all his. He'll be livid, but he won't be heartbroken. His ego is too big to actually give a shit about me. He's only keeping me around as some sort of arm candy, and the entire act is getting old.

I've been secretly packing my things up when he's on "official underwater business", which is basically him and Aquaman swimming around Atlantis all day. I've been hiding boxes in the only closet that he doesn't have some sort of oceanic equipment in. At this point, I should be able to pack up all of my clothes and leave. Maybe that's what I should do.

After thinking it over, I've decided to write a letter.

 _Dear AL,_

 _here's my last half of the rent. I know this is short notice, but I have to go. Not only will I be permanently leaving this residence, but I no longer wish to be in a relationship. For future reference, maybe you should learn how to be a better roommate/boyfriend._

 _Lose my number; don't try to get me back._

 _-Raven_

Feeling liberated, I tuck the letter and my $400 half into an envelope and leave it on the dining room table, right next to the TV remote, where I know he'll see it. I bring all of my boxes into the dining room and place them next to the door. I know where I want to go, but I'm not exactly sure how I will get my stuff there. Or if they'll have me. I guess I need to make a few phone calls.

I punch the familiar numbers into my phone and he picks up on the first ring. "Cy? Hey, can you do me a favor?"

After we load all of the boxes into the T-Car, I shut the back hatch and sit on the ledge of the closed trunk. Cyborg sits beside me, lowering the back of the car significantly. "So, what made you finally leave?" he asks. Usually, no one would dare ask that personal of a question, but Cyborg is like a brother to me, and I know he actually cares about the answer I'm going to give him. "Nothing specifically. I was just getting fed up and something just pushed me over the edge. He's just too controlling, and it took awhile, but I know now that I don't deserve that." I've never admitted that to myself until now, but I needed to hear it said out loud. "I understand. I'm glad you're away from him. We didn't like the way he treated you. I'm glad you're coming back. BB hasn't actually had a real conversation with you in what, two years?" he said. I wonder what he would say to me when I got there.

I never forgot about the changeling. I thought about him probably once a week. Aquaman and I were together for a little over two years, and about a year ago I really started thinking about what it would be like if things were different. If I was with someone else. If I was with Beast Boy. When he'd flirt with me in our teenage years, he'd always claim that he would treat me well. I always believed that statement, but it wasn't what I wanted at the time. He was dorky and immature, and I wanted someone different and more mysterious, I guess. Aquaman fit the profile, and we started dating when I was 18, almost 19, and I was absolutely in love. I loved his I-don't-give-a-shit-about-anything attitude, and looking back, that attitude is exactly why I left.

I feel an arm's weight curl around my shoulder. "C'mon, Rae. Let's get going. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you." He hops off the ledge of the trunk and so do I while I try to mentally prepare for the next chapter in my already crazy day. "Yeah, let's get going." I agree. The truth is, I just want to get out of here before Aqualad gets back.

It's almost an hour drive to the Titans Tower from downtown Jump City, including all the traffic and back-ups, which is expected on a Friday afternoon. On the ride to my hopeful new home, Cyborg talks about all the changes since I've been gone, which has been almost 2 years. He talks about how when Batman came to check on how Beast Boy and Cyborg were doing on their own in the tower, he was disgusted by their bachelor-like cleaning habits and hired them a 3-times-a-week maid named Eleanor. He doesn't know, but that gives me hope in regards to how clean my new living arrangement could be. Since Dick and Kori (Nightwing and Starfire) moved out, I imagine that cleanliness wasn't high on the priority list for Cy and Gar. I wonder what else has changed. I wonder if they changed my room.

Multiple stories and about 5 different and unnecessary fits of road rage from Cyborg later, we arrive at the tower. Cyborg pulls into the garage, and nostalgia floods back into my brain.

I remember working with Cyborg on the T-Car in this garage while listening to grunge music from the 90's. I remember hiding Christmas presents in here so no one would find them, even though Starfire did one year while trying to find Silkie. I remember Dick's motorbike that everyone wanted to ride, but nobody was even allowed to touch it. The spot where his bike used to be parked isn't empty, but replaced by a green moped. Just by looking at it, I know it belongs to Gar. I'm glad he finally got one after years of looking.

Cyborg and I walk to the elevator together, and I think he notices that I'm nervous, because he gives me a look that is supposed to be reassuring, but I can't help form being anxious. The last time I was here, I was young and excited to be leaving, but now I'm coming back. I'm starting to see this as a failure, and I'm not surprised that this is happening. I always have a way of making things negative, and here I am, making a positive change into something sad.

My thoughts are thankfully interrupted by the stopping of the elevator, which sends my mind into a panic. Cyborg stands in front of me, which helps, actually. "Don't worry; I'm sure he won't have a problem with this. You're still family, Rae." He fumbles with the box he's carrying, but we eventually get into the living room without dropping anything. I put down my box and look around. No sight of the changeling, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. I stand up straight to stretch and lean against a doorway while I wait for Cy to find BB. The door I'm leaning on clicks open.

I move out of the way and spin around fast enough to not completely fall over into the doorway, but end up nose-to-chest with a boy. No, a man. I look up and my eyes are locked with emerald irises. I can't move, and I couldn't if I tried. The green boy that I grew up with and I were eye-to-eye in height when I left, and here I was facing a green man that was easily a good 8 inches taller than me and twice my width. If I saw this guy in a dark alley, I'd run the other way. His eyes open wider and his mouth begins to gape open as realization started to hit him. I start to say something, I'm not sure what, when he puts his hands on my shoulders and gently pushes me backward. "Raven?"

I nod my head yes, and he lets go of my shoulders. "Shit. Sorry. What are you doing here? I mean, I'm glad to see you, but what brings you here? Is everything okay?" He asks. He's nervous. Almost as nervous as I am. Cyborg swings in and saves the day before I can even say anything. "Hey Gar, she's actually planning on moving in, if that's okay with you?" he raises an eyebrow at the changeling. Beast Boy looks at me for a few seconds, and a wide smile spreads across his face, his signature tooth popping out and all. "Of course. Yeah. Welcome home, Rae."

We all go out to the car and unload all of my boxes. Beast Boy got to the car before we did, so he was a few steps ahead when Cyborg tapped my arm and motioned me to stay back a bit. "Hey, Raven. We still have your old room basically all set up, so is it okay if we just move you back into there? I know Dick and Kori's old room was bigger, but we kind of renovated, ya know?" he looked at me with a pleading glance. "Yeah, of course. So like, you guys didn't change my room at all? Why?" I figured they would make it into a game room or something, I don't know. "Actually, BB wouldn't let us change it. He said after a month we could, but when the month passed, he still wanted to leave it how it was, so we did. Honestly, I think he was hoping you would come back, but don't tell him I told you that, okay?" he looked at me with serious eyes, so I knew he meant it. I nod, but I wonder why Gar didn't want to change my room. Maybe he was more attached than I thought.

We take the elevator up and catch up to Gar, who has already moved most of the boxes into my room. He's standing in the middle of the room, looking around and spreading out boxes. The room is painted dark purple, just how I left it. Old candles line the furniture left over from when I couldn't move it into the new apartment, because Aqualad said it was "too creepy". The room smelled of lavender and dust, as well as whatever cologne Gar has on, which smells recently applied. Coincidence?

Everything is right where I left it, including my turntable and vinyl collection. I decide to put on some music, and choose my favorite album from The Smiths, which Gar immediately deems "too depressing". He responds by running to his room and grabbing an album by The Strokes, which I didn't know that he owns, and starts spinning _Someday_ on the table. He starts dancing around as we put my old room back together. Everyone in the room is sporting a grin, and for the first time in a long time, I'm actually happy.

That's all for Chapter 1, folks! Hope you liked it, I'll have more on the way!

-Maddy


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I know I've been posting sporadically lately, and I'm going to try to be more consistent in my story posting from now on. I hope you enjoy the second chapter of** _ **Home**_ **! Leave some reviews in the comments! Thanks! -Rae1399**

" _Living life with no need for the brakes/ Something happens when I lean on my mistakes/ Love is mystical/ Love will break the chains/ You might feel invincible/ And you might be afraid/ Light in darkness will show you the way/ Give you the power to believe again"_ -Cold War Kids

The first day in her new-old home was a memorable one. Her and the boys put her room back together and unpacked her boxes, making her old room come alive. They listened to records and danced around the room as the vinyl spun, pitching music from the Strokes, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, The B-52's, Cage the Elephant, and many other artists. They spent hours in her room, putting things back in their rightful places and cleaning cobwebs. The group only stopped to eat twice, indulging in pizza and potato chips to refuel their energy. The hours they spent cleaning and reorganizing was the best kind of reunion Raven could have hoped for, and the entire ordeal went smoothly, without any troubles you would assume would come from a person moving into your house without any notice. They finally finished putting the room back together around 11 PM, which was celebrated by sitting on the couch and watching some movies.

I made a cup of tea from the old teabags left in the cupboard from the last time I was here in a green mug, which I assumed was Beast Boy's. About five minutes ago, Cy suggested that we watch a movie to relax, which Gar and I happily agreed to. Cy is currently browsing between Hulu and Netflix, trying to find a movie that satisfied everyone's tastes. Gar is sitting toward the middle of the couch, which has downsized from the large couch due to the downsizing of the team living here. The couch is now a grey colored satin-type futon, which can fit at most 4 people at once. His arms are extended on either side of the back of the couch, and he's arguing with Cy over what we should watch: comedy or action. I never thought I'd miss the extreme amount of testosterone in the tower, but this is what I really needed.

Cy and Gar finally agree on _Napoleon Dynamite_ , which I happen to enjoy. Cy popped some popcorn in the microwave, which is eaten and enjoyed by all three of us. I'm seated to the left of Gar, and Cy sits to his right. We watch the movie, mostly in silence due to Cy's pet peeve about talking during movies. Gar occasionally talks about the movie, usually a quick "I love this part" or "did you know…" followed by a fact about the production of the movie. He also asks if we want more popcorn or if I want more tea, which is really kind of him. I also notice that he keeps checking his phone as it lights up and vibrates, which it seems to do every minute or so. I never thought to ask if he has a significant other, but decide that's a question for another day.

After _Napoleon Dynamite_ is over, I decide to go to sleep and try to get some rest. I check my phone once more before leaving the living room, with no messages to greet me, probably because I have blocked Aqualad on every messaging platform I have. I get up to leave and fold the blanket I was covering myself with.

"Going to bed already?" Cy asks. "Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted. Thanks again for letting me move back in and helping me get everything set up today, I really appreciate it, seriously." I say with a smile to the boys. Cy gets up from the couch and gives me a hug around my shoulders, and Gar stands up as well. I don't know if he's expecting a hug or what, but I feel like that would be a bit awkward. "Goodnight, Raven." Cy says, and he leans in to whisper, "if you need anything tonight, just let me know. I want you to feel comfortable. We want you here, okay?" I nod and he backs away and shoots me a smile as he sits back down on the couch.

Gar walks up to me as I'm leaving, and I can already tell the interaction we're about to have is going to be painfully awkward. "Hey Rae," he starts as he looks around the room. "would you wanna get breakfast tomorrow morning? There's this new café that opened down the street, and they offer a crazy amount of teas and stuff, and I've been dying to go." He looks down at me, and I swear, he looks like he's 15 again. His eyes are wide with anticipation, and his face totally confirms the 'yes' I am about to give him. "Yeah, of course, Gar." I smile up at him, and his face lights up. "Okay, cool. Really cool! Goodnight Rae!" His arms sort of open, but maybe just enough to fit a small stick. He starts moving his arms and hands in the weirdest motion I think I have ever seen, which seems to be a hybrid of a fist bump, or maybe a wave or something, and he settles on giving me a high-five for some reason. I slap his hand, and try not to laugh at his awkward bedtime send-off. His eyes hold a look of embarrassment and maybe defeat, and he sheepishly smiles at me and turns around.

Trying to hold back laughter, I walk out of the living room and walk down the hallway to my room. The door opens with a scan of my hand, and I'm hit with a feeling of nostalgia. My room looks exactly how it did a few years ago, and it feels like home. I drag my fingers over my old bed comforter, and it's just as soft as it was when I first came to the tower. I do a belly flop onto my bed, and am comforted by the scent of lavender, which is so much better than the smell of rotting fish that I had become accustomed to for the past few years. My eyelids feel heavy, so I decide to crawl under the blankets and get some shut eye. The sound of water crashing in waves outside lulls me to sleep.

Around 4 AM, I wake up. I wasn't dreaming or anything, I just woke up as naturally as I usually do, but at four in the morning. I sit up in bed, and I hear something rattling downstairs. I decide to investigate, so I open my closet and put on a pair of slippers. I walk out to the elevator, and decide to start from the bottom in order to find the mysterious noise. I push the button labeled "B" for basement, and hear the noise get louder as I near the ground floor. I start to get nervous, now paying for my curiosity as I realize the noises are metal on metal combined with grunting. Realizing that what I am hearing isn't really welcoming, I watch my step and try to tread lightly to avoid being seen. I creep around the corner to hear louder grunting and what could very possibly be a struggle. I have my powers ready; a black orb covers my hand as I prepare to fight whatever is on the other side of this corner.

I quickly swing around the corner, ready to strike, when I see some workout equipment moving and a shirtless green body. Metal clanks against metal as sweat pools underneath the changeling on the ground, who is using his arms to pull a sizable amount of weight on the machine he's using. I lower my hands and cancel my energy, because apparently, I failed to realize that working out could also be the source of the noises I heard. His head snaps up in shock, and his gaze locks with mine. He releases the bars of the machine that he was on and the weights fall with a small crash.

"Uh, what's up, Rae?" He looks at me with his head cocked to the side, looking like a curious puppy. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," I say, and I can feel a blush creeping up my neck. "I heard a weird noise coming from down here and thought there was an intruder in the tower." I am literally so dumb. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, Gar. Really." I manage to choke out, and I know for sure that my face is bright red. "Hey, it's okay. And for the record, Cy put in a new security system not too long ago, so there's, like, no chance of intruders or anything." He says with a chuckle. "I guess I shouldn't be making so much noise so early in the morning, that's my bad. Sorry, Rae. I didn't mean to scare you." He says this as a genuine apology, but I can't help but feel foolish. "I wasn't scared, I was concerned." I realize that I just sounded like a child, and the changeling starts laughing.

He grabs a white towel off a bench that's a few feet away and drapes it over his shoulders as he walks toward me. "So, are we still on for breakfast later?" he asks as he stops about two feet away from me. "Yeah, of course!" I hate looking up at him, it makes me feel like a little kid, but he's so tall now. "Okay, great! It's around…" he whips out his cellphone to check the time, "well, it's almost 5. I'll swing by your room around 7, is that cool?" he slips his phone back into the pocket of his gym shorts, but doesn't break eye contact. "Yeah, of course. I'll be ready." I smile up at him.

We both walk to the elevator at the same time, and I assume I have accidentally cut his workout short for today. We reach the door, and reach to punch the 'up' button at the same time. His hand brushes against mine, and it feels like a spark. I draw my hand away too quickly, and he looks at me as if he had hurt me. He looks back at his hand, and his face looks somewhat surprised and maybe embarrassed. He removes his hand from the button, and he seems to straighten his back and stands tall like a soldier. This is already incredibly uncomfortable, and I can only imagine how the rest of this elevator ride is going to go.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, the elevator doors finally open and we enter the silver box. We stand at separate sides of the elevator, and I don't think that either one of us were eager to make conversation. We stood there in silence until we reached our floor and the elevator doors opened, in which he finally said, "Ladies first." We walk toward our rooms in silence, and we reach my room. "I'll meet you here at 7, okay?" "Okay, sounds good." I reply. He nods and smiles, then walks toward his room and opens his door. I enter my room and begin to ponder as to what I'm going to do for the next two hours.

I decide to read for an hour or so. Around 6, I decide to get a shower. I walk into the bathroom next to my room, and am thankful to find it unoccupied. I slip off my clothes, and am thankful for the warm water that greets me in the shower. I wash my hair and body with lavender scented soaps, and the smell of pure lavender without any trace of fish was a gift. I shut off the water and wrap my body in a fluffy white towel, and I assume that I won't run into Cy or Gar. I seem to have assumed incorrectly, because as soon as I open the door, I run into Gar.

I manage to keep my towel around myself, but almost lose my footing. Gar reaches out and catches my arm, and manages to keep me upright. "Hey, thanks." I say, which was an incredibly lame thing to say. "It's fine, see you in an hour!" he takes his hand off my arm, but the feeling of his calming touch lingers. He smiles at me and starts walking toward the living room, and I rush back into my room. I look in the mirror, and my face is rose colored. Trying to forget about the embarrassment I had just endured, I wrap my hair in the towel that was around my body and slide on a black bra and underwear set. I walk over to my closet and open the doors and browse my outfit selections. I decide on a black oversized sweatshirt and a pair of black leggings. I pair this outfit with a long thin chain necklace to avoid looking frumpy, and I really hope that Gar doesn't heavily judge my outfit.

I straighten my hair and do some simple makeup, which consists of moisturizer, winged eyeliner and mascara. I lace up some black leather combat boots, and deem my outfit complete. I spray on some perfume that I think smells good, although I'm not exactly sure what the smell is. I look at myself at the mirror, and decide that a black sunhat would complete the look. I grab my hat out my closet and glance at the time on my alarm clock, which blinks a red 6:59 AM. I grab my purse and phone, and give one last look around my room to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything. I walk to the door and open it, and like he promised, Gar was standing right in front of my door.

And he looked _good_.

An old white band tee shirt and black leather jacket with jeans has never looked so good. I'm pretty sure he can feel my eyes all over him, but I'm still in awe of his change from the last time I saw him. He's tall and built, and completely different from the string bean I said goodbye to a few years ago. It took me almost an entire day to notice, but I really messed up by blowing him off. I finally reach my gaze up to his face, and he gives me a confused look. "You ready, Raven?" he asks. "Yeah, sorry." He steps out of the way and we walk to the elevator, and I punch the button that will take us to the garage.

"You look, like, really good, Rae." He stammers. "Oh, thanks. You too." I manage to say. The elevator ride was less tense than the one that occurred earlier this morning, but it was still a bit awkward. I'm glad he thinks I look good though, I've went a long time without receiving an actual compliment.

We reach the garage, and he takes a pair of keys out of his pocket. He pushes a button, and the lights on the T-Car flash as the doors unlock. "It's too cold to take the moped." He walks over and opens the passenger side door for me, then opens the driver side door and gets in. I smile at the gesture and get in, then I buckle up. It occurs to me that I've never been in the car when Gar was driving, so I really don't know what to expect. Gar buckles his seatbelt and plugs the aux cord into his phone, which begins to play an Arctic Monkeys song with a catchy beat. "Ready?" he asks with his hand on the gear shift. I nod, and we pull out of the garage.

We drive the streets of Jump City for about 10 minutes, a majority of that time spent trying to find a parking spot far from anywhere near the public eye. People tend to notice the T-Car, mostly due to Cyborg's customizations. We finally find a spot on a road mostly populated with closed-down buildings and park there. It's a three-minute walk to the café, and we walk side-by-side and go unnoticed by mostly everyone, considering that it's early in the day.

After walking for a few minutes, we reach the shop. On the outside, flower pots filled with lush purple flowers border the entrance, and a large sign reads "The Porcelain Cup". From what I have seen so far, the café is high-end and absolutely gorgeous. He holds the door open for me, and I walk into the best smelling room I have ever been in. Different herbal smells flow from every corner and come together in aromatic harmony. The tables and chairs host about six people, and the atmosphere is filled with dried flowers and live plants, all in white pots and containers. Everything is so clean, and there is no line at the counter.

Gar walks up to the counter and orders a matcha tea, and then gestures toward me to order. I order the same thing, even though I've never had it before. The barista stares at us and smiles. "Thank you for protecting the city, I mean it. You saved my mom last year, I can't thank you enough. Your orders are on the house today." We thank her, and Gar drops a $20 bill in the tip jar when she isn't looking.

She hands us our teas, which are served in white mugs, and we sit at a table for two in the corner of the dining area. I try the green colored tea, and I'm surprised by how good it actually is. We sit and drink our tea for a while before talking, then he finally breaks the silence.  
"So, if this is too personal, I'm sorry, but can I ask why you came back? I've been wondering, you know?" he asks with a tone of uncertainty. "Well, I was just tired I guess. Aqualad and I weren't meant to happen, and I lied to myself about being okay with living with him. I had been packing up my things little by little, and I finally decided that I needed out yesterday, and thankfully, you and Cyborg took me back in. I really appreciate it, by the way." I looked at him, waiting for a response. He sat silent for a little while, and then lifted his hand and placed it softly on top of mine. "We really missed you, Raven." He said without meeting my gaze. He looks up at me, and I think I feel his grip on my hand tighten slightly.

"I- _I_ really missed you, Rae."

Before I can even react to what he just said, a camera flashed in our direction. He moves his hand, and gives me a surprised look. The culprit smiles at us and begins clicking on her smartphone. We're used to press, but the Titans have been under-the-radar for a bit publicly, excluding fighting crime. Gar and I give each other a look, and he shrugs. We dismiss the picture and continue drinking our tea. We drink in silence until he finishes his cup. "You're too good for him." He says out of nowhere. "I mean it." Our gaze locks, and a chill runs down my spine. I smile at him, and I'm honestly at a loss for words, so I just finish off my tea. I set my cup down, and he picks it up and carries it to the dish return on the counter. I stand up and push our chairs in, and we wave the barista goodbye and start our walk back to the car.

We arrive to find the T-Car unharmed, thankfully. We get in and buckle up, and then I check Twitter and Facebook. Already, the picture has been shared over 400 times and has been reported by at least two news sites. It has been worse before, so I mention it to Gar and we both shrug it off. Social media can't do much physical harm, so the entire team doesn't really care as to what fans or the press post. We know we can't avoid the public eye, so we usually just accept it.

I've decided that so far, Gar is a good driver and I wouldn't hate hanging out with him again, and think about saying so, but decide not to. We're getting close to the tower when I see something, or someone, in front of the garage door. As we get closer, I determine that it's a person. I look at Gar, and his jaw is tightened into a straight line. He slows down as we near the door. I'm still looking at him when he says, "Stay in the car Raven." His words are stern as he glances at me quickly. He opens the door, shuts it, then I face forward. I only then notice who the unexpected visitor is.

It's Aqualad. And he'd pissed.

Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter, stay tuned for more!

-Rae1399


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Hope you're ready for chapter 3! So far, this is my favorite story to write, so I will more than likely be updating this one frequently. Feel free to leave reviews and PM me with ideas!**

 **Much Love! -Rae1399**

" _You don't know how to let go/ Who said this must be all or nothing?/ But I'm still caught below, and I'll never let you know/ No, I can't tell you nothing/ 'Cause I'm a fucking mess sometimes/ But still I could always be/ Whatever you wanted, but not what you needed/ Especially when you been needing me" -_ Eden, "drugs". 

My eyes lock with his through the windshield. Aqualad starts walking toward the car furiously, his eyes not leaving me. I have never seen him this genuinely angry, and I feel myself starting to panic. Before he gets any closer to the passenger side of the car where I'm sitting, Gar stands like a wall in front of him. Aqualad tries to push through him, but the beast gabs his arm and stands his ground. Aqualad begins to push Gar with a decent amount of force, but the changeling remains unmoved. I lock the doors of the car in case, and continue to watch Aqualad struggle.

Out of nowhere, Aqualad uses his free arm to land a punch on Beast Boy's jaw. The changeling shoves Aqualad with such force that the merman falls to the ground. Gar's head swings around to look at me, and his eyes are wild and glowing. Rugged claws replace clean fingernails, and his teeth are barred as he shifts his gaze from me to Aqualad. I unlock the doors and spring out of the car. I practically dive to Beast Boy's side as he swings his hand back in attack, trying to stop the bloodshed before it starts. In his position, Aqualad must know that the Beast could easily kill him.

I catch the muscled green arm in the air before it's used to harm a former teammate. This causes Gar to snap his head in my direction. His intimidating face falls as he realizes that it's me stopping the attack. He lowers his arm with my hand still on it, and glares at Aqualad.

"You have no business being here. I strongly recommend that you leave immediately." He growls. "I just wanted to talk to Raven. She needs to come home. I figured she would be here after I saw the post that a fan made on Facebook, and hey, I guessed correctly." He smirked at the changeling and I, and I could practically feel Gar's blood boil. I squeeze his arm more tightly to comfort him, but I don't know how long that will last.

"I have no interest in being with you or living with you anymore. I'm not coming back. I mean it. Fuck off." I say, trying to sound intimidating. He glances at me and smirks, which proves that my shot at intimidation has failed. "Raven, you know you belong back at the apartment with me. You hated it here, we were fine by ourselves!" He walks closer to me and reaches out a hand, which I respond to by putting my other hand on the changeling's arm. Gar looks down at me with caring eyes, and suddenly, I feel safe.

"Well, what do we have here? Moving on, are we? After two days of being together? I knew Terra was a bit of a whore, but I never expected it from you." Soon as the last word of his sentence left his mouth, Beast Boy's hands were around his throat.

Aqualad tries to pry the green hands from his throat, but doesn't succeed. I can see the merman losing color in his face, but am unsure as to what I'm going to do. I grab the changeling's right arm and try to rip it from Aqualad's neck, but I get shoved with such force that I fall to the asphalt. The Beast looks at me, and his eyes soften as he realizes what he's done. His arms fall from my ex-boyfriend's neck and he drops to his knees. His heads turns to Aqualad, who is also on the ground. "Get out." He says firmly. "Get out!" he growls loudly after Aqualad doesn't respond.

After coughing for about 30 seconds, Aqualad glares at the both of us and dives into the water surrounding the tower. As soon as he leaves, Gar's eyes meet mine, and we both simultaneously apologize profusely. Our words tumble over each other, but I can tell that he genuinely is upset at himself for the incident.

"Okay, wait, stop," I interrupt. "Gar, it's okay. You were helping me. Also, I'm not hurt. It takes a lot to hurt me, and I know you didn't mean to do it. It's okay. I'm really sorry and embarrassed that he showed up at all. He's such an asshole, and I'm sorry you got tied into it. Thank you for helping, though." I manage to say. Honestly, the entire situation has me worked up. I never wanted Aqualad to find me, and my emotions are hard to keep in check sometimes. I never meant for Gar to get involved, and now I feel like a piece of shit.

After a few seconds of silence, the changeling speaks. "Raven, listen. I'll always be here to help you. But today, I failed. I never want to hurt you and never meant to, but I did. I never forgave myself from years ago when I got infected by that chemical. No matter how many times I say I'm sorry, nothing will change the guilt I feel. I'm so sorry, Rae." He looks at me with sad eyes, and I can't help but wonder what goes on in his head every day. He seems to be dealing with a lot, and I can sense that it's eating him alive.

He breaks our gaze by looking up at the sky. It's sunny out, and a relatively nice day to sit in the tower driveway, I suppose. He stands up and reaches out his hand. I take it, and he helps pull me to my feet. Other than some dirt on my pants, I remain unharmed from the situation. He puts his hands on my shoulders, and looks at me with an intense look in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asks. I nod, and he drops his hands from my shoulders.

"We should probably go up and explain to Cyborg what just happened. I doubt he knew the cretin was here, anyway. I'll have to talk to him about installing motion sensors or more cameras or something." Gar says.

We walk to the elevator and take it to the living room. I notice that our elevator rides are becoming less awkward, so that's a plus. Cyborg is in the kitchen making some food, I'm not sure what, exactly, but it smells meaty. I walk over and see two pans frying meat, one with burgers and one with bacon. "Hey, I made four so you could have some if you were hungry, Raven. Oh, and there's a veggie burger for Beastie, too." I smile at him and thank him, and grab some condiments out of the fridge. "So, uh, we had a bit of an unexpected visitor." I say to Cy, and Gar glances at me.

Cyborg's head snaps up from his cooking and he looks at me. "Are you two okay? What happened? You should have told me, man!" He points his burger spatula at Gar intensely, which almost makes me laugh. "It was Aqualad-" Gar started, but Cyborg interrupted. "What? Seriously? You didn't even call me!" He looked genuinely concerned for Gar and I's well-being, which was comforting. "It's fine, we took care of it. However, can we put motion sensors near the doors or garage?" Gar asks. "Yeah, I'll look into it tomorrow. Next time something like this happens, if it happens, you two need to tell me, okay guys?" Cy looks at both of us, and we nod.

"Good. Now, who wants burgers?" Gar and I both smile at him and grab plates. We fix our plates and sit at the table. My burger is the best burger I've ever had, and I tell Cy. "Glad you like it. Do you like it enough to do the dishes afterwards?" I roll my eyes but agree. "Only if Beast Boy helps, he ate your cooking too!" I look at him, and he lets out an over-dramatic groan. "I guess. I didn't sign up for this!" he rolls his eyes and makes an angry face. Cyborg and I laugh, and the changeling keeps the act up by crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows like a grumpy toddler. I smile at him, and he grins back at me, his bottom tooth exposed.

We clear our plates and put them in the sink. "It's nice to not do the dishes for once. Thanks, BB!" Cyborg chuckles as he walks out of the living room. The changeling glares at him and rolls his eyes. "It's not a big deal, they're just dishes." I say as I fill up one side of the sink with warm water and soap. Beast Boy grabs the rest of the plates from the counters and table and brings them over to the sink. "You wash, I dry and put away?" he asks. I nod, and he grabs a towel. He stands closely beside me, so when I start washing, my elbow sort of hits him. "Um, EXCUSE me?" he looks at me dramatically, and I shrug. He grabs a handful of bubbles and plops the suds on my head.

The soap had touched maybe two plates, so at least the suds weren't dirty. I dropped my jaw, and looked at him. He cackled and covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing. I grabbed an even bigger handful of the bubbles and threw them toward his face. The suds hit him in the forehead and dripped down. He wiped his eye area clean with his hands, and gave me a look meant for war. Speedily, he reached behind me and grabbed more bubbles, throwing small handfuls at my head. I did the same thing, but he kept dodging my attacks. We laugh and continue our warfare, throwing and dodging bubbles from both sides.

It gets to the point that we are all out of bubbles, and we're crouching over breathless from laughing so hard. He stands up fully, still stifling laughs. I look up at him and begin to stand, and I can't stop smiling. He takes a step closer to me and takes my hands in his. He reaches my gaze, and says nothing for a few seconds. "I missed you so much, Rae. You don't even know," He looks away, but keeps talking. "But what Aqualad said earlier about you hating it here, did you really hate living here?

His eyes meet mine again, my hands still in his. "No, I didn't actually hate it here at all. I loved being surrounded by people that I could trust. What made me leave was Aqualad. He's very convincing, and told me that I didn't belong here. He manipulated me, Gar." I said. He gives me a sad look, but it eventually turns into a soft smile. "Well, hey. I'm glad you're back now. I really am." We stand in silence, our eyes not moving from each other.

Out of nowhere, I wrap my arms around him and hold him against me tightly. He's warm, and his shirt is a little damp from our bubble war, but I don't care. Being pressed against him feels right. His body feels like home. I feel his hard muscles tense, then soften as he wraps his strong arms around me. I feel the weight of his head sit on top of my head, and suddenly remember how tall he is compared to me.

In his arms, I feel safe. I now believe I know what I was missing all along. He is my home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story! Remember, if you have suggestions for new stories, IM/email me! Feel free to let me know how you feel about the story in the comments, I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **-Much love, Rae1399.**

" _You're what keeps me believing the world's not gone dead,/ Strength in my bones put words in my head./ When they pour out to paper./ It's all for you./ 'Cause that's what you do./ No more fighting./ This is only a waste of our time/ 'cause soon we'll be leaving./ Will this strength still be mine?/ I'll look out for you until I die, 'til I rot."_ – Say Anything, "I Want to Know Your Plans".

After the bubble fight, Beast Boy and Raven knew there was something between them. Something stronger than friendship, and stronger than just missing each other. They did eventually get around to doing the dishes, but the rest of the cleaning process wasn't as memorable as the moment they shared beforehand. After they finished doing the dishes, the small team gathered in the living room.

"Mario Kart? Maybe Super Smash Bros? Nah, definitely Mario Kart." Cyborg says as he puts a disk into the WiiU that him and Gar purchased a year prior. I usually don't play video games, but I kick ass at Mario Kart. These boys don't know what's coming for them. Cyborg tosses a wheel at me, and he picks the first track.

I come in first in all four rounds, and seeing Gar's surprised, yet irritated face brings me joy every time. However, I have learned that when Gar is extremely focused, he sticks his tongue out to the left side of his mouth, and I think it's sort of cute. He's so dorky, and I have never thought that would be a quality that I could find attractive. He's looking at me with wide eyes, and I realize that I've been staring at him. My eyes flick to the screen and I feel color creep into my cheeks. He's still looking at me, and I pretend to focus on the screen, but eventually meet his gaze.

His eyes are emerald orbs, and they're deeper than any body of water I have ever seen. His pupils flicker as he stares into my eyes, and it's like he's searching for something. His mouth fell open ever so slightly as if he was about to say something, but he just kept looking into my eyes. I feel like I'm in a trance; I can't look away from him. In this moment, nothing seems to matter. Me moving in, moving away in the first place, the visit from Aqualad, the post on social media, none of it mattered. I can't ignore this feeling, and this connection is more than what I felt when we were kids.

I can't break the gaze. I don't want to. But then Cyborg waves his mechanical hand in between us and breaks the connection. "Yo, guys? Wanna play another game? Or get pizza?" The changeling blinked several times, and smiled up at Cy. "Yeah, sure, both of those sound great! Veggie for me, and Rae, your favorite is still regular cheese, right?" Gar was right, so I nod, and I'm amazed that he remembered that. I remember how much I hated it when he called me Rae, but I can't remember why. I think when I was younger, I thought it was annoying. But now, I'd pay him to call me that again, and I don't think I'll get tired of hearing my name come out of his mouth.

The pizza guy arrives, and I volunteer to pick it up. I remember his face from the multiple years of eating pizza with the rest of the team in the tower. He looked up from the payment device, and looked at me with a surprised expression. "Oh, hey Raven! Haven't seen you in a long time, I was kind of wondering why there was a cheese pizza on the order. I mean, I was used to a pepperoni pizza because of Toni, but that hasn't been ordered in awhile." I look at the delivery boy with a confused expression. "Who's Toni?" the boy's face reddens and he stammers. "Sh-she's Beast Boy's girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend. I actually don't know much about the situation, so it's probably best to ask Beast Boy." I nod and hand him a wad of cash, which included payment and a generous tip.

Holding the pizza in my arms and hitting the buttons on the elevator was a challenge, but I managed to keep the pizzas steady and in their respective boxes. I can't help but wonder if that's who he was texting the other night during the movie. I thought that those moments we shared were sort of intimate, but with this new information about a possible girlfriend, I'm starting to believe that I was wrong. For some reason, I really hope him and this Toni girl aren't together.

I make it up to the living room and place the boxes on the kitchen counter. Gar lets out a celebratory cheer and both of the boys dash into the kitchen. "Thanks for picking up the pizza, Rae!" the changeling says with a smile. My stomach feels like a tornado when I hear him say my name like that, but I write it off as hunger.

We gather around the kitchen table with paper plates full of pizza and sit. Gar's phone is on the table, and every so often, it vibrates and lights up and a new text notification appears on the screen. I'm not being nosy, but it looks like he's ignoring a lot of messages. He pushes his phone aside and flips it over. Honestly, he looks kind of irritated. "Everything okay, Gar?" I ask him, and I'm genuinely concerned. "Yeah, some people just can't take a damn hint sometimes." He sounds cross, but then looks up at me and smiles. "Okay, as long as you're alright." I say quietly, but I know he hears me, because he looks down and smiles. Cy looks up from his pizza and switches looks between the two of us, and then shoots me a wide grin. I feel myself blush, and continue eating my pizza.

The cleanup after dinner was minimal, mostly because we used paper plates. Gar heads downstairs to work out for a couple of hours, and Cyborg decide to play a game of Connect 4. We start the game, and after a good 30 seconds of quiet, Cy breaks the silence. "So, from my observations, correct me if I'm wrong, but do you have a thing for Beastie?" I snap my head up from the game and look at him with surprise, but then realize that I think he may be right. "I really don't know, Cy. It's weird. I don't really want a relationship right now, but I feel like there's a connection with him that I've never felt before, you know?" I plop a red chip into one of the slots of the game piece. "Yeah, I get it. If you want my view on it, I think he's been waiting for you to love him. I think he's been mentally begging for you to come back. He really missed you, girl."

What he says makes me smile, but then I remember the conversation with the pizza guy. "So, what about Toni?" I ask. Cyborg looks up from the game after dropping a yellow chip. "How do you know about Toni?" He asks with one eyebrow raised. "The pizza guy mentioned something about it when I was picking up the pizzas earlier. Are her and Gar still together? I don't want to ruin a relationship, I'm not like that." I say after taking my turn. "No, they broke up the day you moved back in, actually. Beastie broke it off, and she's pretty mad. She's been blowing up his phone, and she wants to get back together, but Gar's decision was final. I think she was a placeholder for you, actually." Cyborg smirks at me, and I feel a blush creeping up my neck.

We finish our game, with myself coming out victorious. I decide to retreat to my room to read while Cy watches a football game in the living room. I try reading, but I can't keep what Cy said out of my mind. I decide to do some light investigation, and pull up Facebook on my phone. I look up "Toni" and find a result that has two mutual friends: Gar and Cyborg. I click on her profile and am shocked to see a girl with black hair, blue eyes, and dark lipstick. In her profile picture, she's posed dramatically in front of a brick wall and is sporting a dark outfit. Cy wasn't kidding when he said she might be a placeholder, I'm almost positive that I have the exact outfit she's wearing in my closet. Her relationship status is set as "single", which gives me a feeling of relief. I close out of Facebook and set my phone on my nightstand, pick up my book and continue reading.

After reading for about 45 minutes, I hear a knock at my door. I walk up and open my door, and Gar is standing there, leaning against the door frame. He's wearing a pair of gym shorts, and a towel is draped over one of his shoulders. His shirtless body is saturated with sweat, and I'm honestly at a loss for words. I feel my face getting hot, and I hear one of my candles fall off my vanity. I close my eyes, and Gar makes a surprised noise. "Whoa, that was weird." I hear him say. I open my eyes and look up to meet his gaze. "Uh, yeah, it's okay. What's up?" I say, and I'm positive that I look and sound like a dork. "So, since we have no missions tonight, I was thinking we could do something fun. Maybe go to a club?" He looks at me and I can't help but feel awkward. "Clubbing isn't really my thing, I don't know what to wear, or how to dance." I say sheepishly. "It's okay, we don't have to go. However, if you change your mind, let me know." He winks at me and walks down the hallway to his room.

I've decided to take him up on his offer. It can't hurt to get me out of my comfort zone, and I haven't had a drink, fun, or the opportunity to dance on a hot guy in a long time. I walk down the hallway to his room, and his door is open. I slow down when I realize he's talking to someone, and I catch a hint of the conversation. "Listen, it's done. Leave me alone. If you call me again, I'm going to change my number. I'm sorry, but stop." I hear him say, followed by a long sigh. I slowly walk closer to the door and knock on the side of the door frame.

He looks up, and his exhausted face brightens. "Hey Rae! What's good, mama?" he asks. I smile at him, because I'm sure at this point he couldn't be cuter. "Well, good news, I decided to take you up on your offer. What time are we leaving?" He smiles even wider than before, and his bottom fang sticks out. I lied, he got even cuter. "Well, it's like 8 now, so can you be ready by 9? If not, no big deal." He says, and I can tell he's excited. "Yeah, meet me at my room at 9. I'll be ready." I say and I smile at him. He walks toward me and stops about a foot away from me. "Okay, boss. See you then." He smirks at me, and watches from the door as I walk back to my room. It's going to be a good night, I can feel it.

When I get back to my room, I decide to do my makeup first. I put on my foundation and bronzer, apply some eyeshadow, swipe on some eyeliner and paint my lips in a deep purple shade. I rustle through my closet and manage to find a few decent outfits; a black romper, a short dark purple dress with thin straps, and a short black skirt with a black crop top. I pick the skirt and crop top outfit, hoping that I don't look too monochromatic. I strip down and pull the skirt over my hipbones and the shirt over my head. I look in the mirror, and I have to admit, I look really good. I haven't felt this good in so long. The outfit really outlines my curves and bust, and my makeup turned out nicely. I check my phone, and the screen reads 8:55 PM. I spray on some perfume, put on some deodorant and slide a ring on my right index finger. I put on a choker necklace and deem my outfit complete.

A knock on the door interrupts the outfit inspection I'm completing in the mirror, and I walk over to the door and push the button to slide it open. In the doorway stands a man with green skin in dark jeans and a black collared shirt, topped off with the leather jacket from earlier and clean-smelling cologne. I look up at him and his mouth is opened slightly. "You look incredible, seriously." He says, smiling. I smile back at him. "You look pretty good yourself, BB." I say as I grab the pair of heels near my door. "Ready to go?" he asks. I nod, and we walk toward the living room. Cyborg is wearing a shirt that shows off his muscular arms and a pair of light jeans, with a vintage varsity jacket thrown over his shoulder. "Y'all ready to go?" The beast and I nod, and we head down to the garage.

I ride shotgun as Cyborg drives to the heart of Jump City, and the mood in the car is perfect. The windows are cracked, the sunroof is open, and Cyborg is listening to an early-2000's pop playlist. Some Lil Wayne is playing, and the outside temperature is so comforting that I can't even begin to get anxious about tonight. We take a road that leads to a building decorated with neon signs, which I assume is the club, and Cy continues driving past it to find a parking spot where the T-Car is less likely to be damaged. He finally finds an adequate spot, and we walk in the direction of the club as a trio.

We get to the club entrance, and we are immediately let in without pay. Gar nods at the bouncer, and the changeling leads us to a spot in the dark club. This area of the building is nicer than the rest, and I can only assume it's VIP. We sit down and Cy orders us our first round of drinks: tequila shots with lime and salt, the whole works. A waiter quickly approaches the table with six shots, and Cyborg pulls out a few ones and hands them to the gentleman. "Thanks, man. Can I get a Jack and coke for me and Beastie, and Raven, what do you want?" Cy and the waiter look at me, and I shrug and ask for a glass of water and a cranberry vodka. The waiter nods and runs off, and I start to wonder what I got myself into. I'm not a huge drinker, and I don't want to make a fool of myself. All three of us take our first shot on the count of three, followed by biting into a slice of lime. We finished out second shot in a similar fashion, licking salt off our lips afterwards.

The next round of drinks came and went, and I drank my small cup of water. I'm not even remotely interested in trying to keep up with the two boys, I'd probably get alcohol poisoning. After their second round of Jack and cokes, I decide to pass on another drink, mostly because I already have a pretty decent buzz going. Gar and Cyborg stand almost simultaneously, and Gar holds his hand out in my direction. "Wanna get on the floor?" he asks. I let him help me up, and I waver on my feet, partly because of the drinks and partly because of my heels. He doesn't let go of my hand as we make our way to the dance floor. A remix of _Feel Good Inc_. by Gorillaz is playing, which makes me smile because I remember that the Gorillaz are one of Gar's favorite bands. I tap on his shoulder, which makes him look back at me. I point to the ceiling and watch him focus on the sound coming out of the overhead speakers, he smiles and I think he says, "I love this song!", but I'm not sure if that's what he said, so I just nod.

We make it to the dancefloor, and Cyborg, Gar and I are in a triangle formation dancing. I try to move my hips to the beat, but I feel like I look like a fish out of water. The DJ is playing some throwback songs, and _Gasolina_ by Daddy Yankee is playing. Some people have broken our triangle, and a girl with long black hair is dancing on Cyborg, and she is _good_. She's moving her body in ways unimaginable, and I'm amazed by her talent. Cyborg wraps his hands around her waist and he begins to sway as she dances. He looks happy, and while watching them, I've seemed to have lost Gar. I look around and see him leaning against the bar, with his back to the dancefloor. I begin to wobble over toward him, wondering how tipsy I actually am.

I make my way to the bar and put my hand on his arm, and wrap my other hand around his bicep for balance. He looks over and smiles. "Oh Rae, what's up? Wanna do more shots?" I nod, not sure if this is a good decision or not. We take two shots of vodka each, and he seems like he's finally getting buzzed. A remixed Halsey song starts playing, and Gar attempts to talk to me over the music. "I can't hear you!" I yell. He leans in right beside my ear, and asks "Wanna dance?". Goosebumps rise on my neck, and a chill runs down my spine. He stands up straight and I wrap my hands around his arm. Right as we are starting to walk to the dancefloor, a woman's hand curls around Gar's shoulder.

We both turn around, and a girl who looks vaguely familiar raises her eyebrows at us. "So, this is who you left me for? That's fucking cheap, Garfield." The girl with the dark hair says. I feel Gar's arm muscles tense, and then I realize who this girl is. "Toni, Raven has nothing to do with why we broke up. Can you just leave? I'll pay whatever you paid to get in here." Gar says, and he's visibly uncomfortable. "Nope. I just want to talk, babe." She puts her manicured hand on his other arm, and he shrugs it away. She shoots him a look that could kill, and then her focus shifts to me. "Just so you know, you're a rebound, an afterthought. Does that make you feel good? I know Gar told me you have issues with emotions, maybe that's why you're such a bitch." She reaches out her hand and pushes me. Hard.

I feel a ripple run through Gar's arm, and he's gritting his teeth. He's almost in defense mode, and I have to shut this down before the drama progresses. I don't want to make a scene, so I let go of Gar's arm and grab Toni's. I lead her to the entrance, and she tries to struggle, but I know that I'm stronger than her. I tell the bouncer she's causing issues, and he kicks her out without question. Sometimes, being a superhero has its perks. It may have been a lame thing to do, but I don't want to deal with it. When superheroes get caught in bad drama, everyone knows, and it can permanently stain your reputation.

I make my way back into the crowd to look for the changeling. Once again, I find him at the bar. He has an empty shot glass sitting in front of him, accompanied by a full shot of what seems to be vodka. I sit beside him at the bar, and his face lights up. "Hey, I saved you a shot." He pushes the tiny glass in my direction, and I take the shot gratefully. "Thank you, Rae. Seriously. I should have told you about her, but it's really nothing. I should have broken it off a long time ago. You shouldn't have had to deal with her." I look at him and nod. "It's okay, it wasn't a problem. I didn't give her money back for her admission, though." Gar and I laugh, and he looks out at the dancefloor. He grabs my hand gently, and pulls me to my feet. He grabs ahold of my other hand so we're facing each other, and asks "Okay, for real now, wanna dance?" I stifle back a giggle and nod at him, and he keeps holding one of my hands as he leads me to the dance floor.

 _In the Name of Love_ by Bebe Rexha and Martin Garrix is bursting through the speakers, and I can feel the deep bass in my chest. We reach the center of the dancefloor right as the first beat drops, and the bodies around us are dancing with such intensity that the building feels like it's shaking. Gar wavers to the beat, and I feel him gently pulling me closer. His hand that holds mine moves to my hip, and his other hand does the same on my other side. He's looking at the ceiling, a grin across his face, when he moves even closer to me.

 _"I wanna testify/ Scream in the holy light/ You bring me back to life/ And it's all in the name of love…"_

The music waves us together, and we sway in synchronization with the beat. He finally looks down, and I look up at him. We gaze at each other, and I don't know if it's the drinks or my inner emotions, but my arms reach up and around him, and I clasp my hands behind his neck. I step even closer, and my hips are resting against his upper thighs, due to the newfound height difference. He looks up again, and I feel the slightest movement of his arms tensing around me. I somewhat know what's happening; he gets like this when his adrenaline is pumping, when he's defensive, about to attack, or senses danger. However, this feels different. Why would he get like this with me right now?

My question doesn't go unanswered for long, because he looks back down at me, and I see traces of the beast within him. But, I'm not scared. I know what's happening, and decide it's time to get over what fears I have and just take a chance. I pull my arms away from his neck and move them to the sides of his face, and move my upper body against his. He moves his right hand from my hip and places it on the back of my head, where he runs his rough, yet caring fingers through my hair. We move our faces closer to each other, and I can tell that Gar wants to be careful, but I can feel the beast clawing for more.

I close my eyes for a few seconds, and then reopen them. I lean so close that our faces are almost touching, and I decide to give the beast what he wants. "Do it." I whisper, and I know he hears me. The changeling glares at me with an intensity, but not rudely. Before I know it, our lips are suddenly connected with such a power that it feels like I have electricity running through my veins. His left hand moves from my hip to the small of my back, keeping us close. I'm not exactly familiar with this feeling, but the current running through my veins is addictive. Our lips move against each other like they're magnetically attached, and nothing can pull them away.

His right hand closes firmly around my hair, but not painfully. I don't care if people are looking, worse things have been witnessed in a public setting. His left hand remains on my back, but I assume his claws are out, because I feel a slight scratching feeling in the spot where my bare skin is exposed between my shirt and skirt. It doesn't matter, though. I like it. However, I'm not exactly sure if this much exposure of the beast is good for Gar. I don't want to, but I pull away slightly to breathe, and to make sure he's okay. His bottom fangs are out, and his pupils are dilated when he opens his eyes. The beast is obviously present, but he's still Gar. I smile at him, and he brings both of his hands to cradle the sides of my face. All is well, until he moves his left thumb across my cheek, and I feel something wet on my face. I rub my face, and even though it's dark and colorful lights bathe the dancefloor, I can tell that what is on my face and hands is blood.

Gar pulls his hands away from my face and grabs my hands in his. His lustful face falls, and he looks panicked. His claws retract slowly, and I see his eyes return to normal state. He looks at my hands, then wipes my face with his right hand. "Where is this blood coming from? What did I do? Holy fuck, Rae, what did I do?" He begins to stammer and panic. I look at my stomach and see no blood, but then I reach a hand around to feel my back. I pull my hand back and examine the fresh blood that covers my hands. "Turn around." Beast Boy orders, but I know he means well. I spin, and the changeling lets out a small gasp. "Raven, I'm so sorry, I think I hurt you. No, I hurt you. Shit, I'm so sorry. He spins me around, and I can see tears welling up in his eyes.

He puts his right hand over my back as we walk around to find Cy, hoping that no one sees the blood on either of us. He leans over and whispers, "Follow my lead." We eventually find Cyborg, and Gar explains that I drank too much and that I want to sit in the car for a little bit. I nod and smile at Cyborg as if I were actually drunk, and Cyborg nods, and we make our way out of the club. We reach the car, and Gar folds down the back seats for more room, where he instructs me to lie down. I lay on my stomach as he gets a first-aid kit out of the glove compartment. "Rae, I am so sorry. I'll never forgive myself for this. Also, I'm gonna sanitize the wound, so this is gonna hurt." He sanitizes my injury, and the entire process stings. He keeps apologizing as he bandages my back, and I haven't felt this cared about in months. I don't give a shit if he scratched me, I can heal myself somewhat, and I know I'll be fine.

He finishes bandaging me, and I sit up and move to the driver's seat, beside where he rests in the passenger seat. He looks exhausted, and he won't meet my gaze. "Gar, hey." I reach out and put my hand on his arm. He still doesn't look at me, but he responds. "I'm so sorry, Rae. I didn't mean to hurt you, I let the beast get to me, and that's my fault. I'm so sorry, I don't blame you if you hate me." He takes his hands and covers his face, but I don't think he's crying. I don't know what else to do, so I take both of my hands and place them on the sides of his face. I face him, and turn his head so his face meets mine, and without hesitation, I kiss him. I pull back, and his face wears a look of surprise. I climb over the center console and put my legs on either side of his lap, where I decide is a good seat. I cup his face in my hands again, and he looks at me in disbelief. I stare directly into his eyes, and say, "Thank you."

I think he decides that he's over being sad, and he grabs my hips. A smirk curls up on his face, and I pull his mouth onto mine. The electricity returns, and I swear, this is the best feeling I've ever felt. I let my emotions go, and the car doors that we left open shut in response. Gar pulls back and puts one of his hands on the back of my head, where he grips my hair tightly. "That's fucking wicked. I love it." he laughs, then pulls my head back into the lip lock. His tongue finds mine, and we let them dance until we're out of breath. The car is dark, but I can see the shine in his eyes. We're both laughing, and he doesn't let go of my body. I don't think this is the beast, I think this is Garfield Logan. "Who fucking knew, right?" He chuckles in between breaths. " I lov-liked you for so long, Rae. Who knew it would take this long and be this… _Amazing_?" He was smiling like a little kid now, and kept breathing heavily. "God, I missed you so much, Rae." He pulls me into a hug, and holds me as if I were fragile.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, then he finally pulls away. I don't realize it right away, but I notice that I was beginning to fall asleep while listening to his heartbeat. "Wanna go back in? We don't have to dance, but Cyborg might worry. We've been out here for a while, ya know." I nod, and we exit the car. Once we are standing, he grabs my hand and we walk to the club entrance.

I don't know what exactly brought us to this point, but I'm glad it happened. He's incredible, and I don't wanna mess this up.

 **EARLIER:**

I'm having a lot of fun with this girl, but I can't help but worry if Raven and Beastie are okay. "Hey, I'll be back in a sec, I gotta go check on my friends." The girl, her name is Keisha, nods and kisses me on the cheek. I smile back at her and make my way to the club exit. I walk to where the car is parked, and I can see two people sitting in the driver's and passenger's seats. I get closer to the car, and see the person in the driver's seat kiss the person in the passenger's seat. A car passes the T-Car, and the headlights illuminate Raven and Beast Boy's faces, connected in the way that I've seen only twice: between Dick and Kori, and Lois and Clark. This is love, and who am I to interrupt that? I turn around, and I can't help but smile to myself.

It's about damn time those two figured out that they were made for each other.

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for more chapters! Make sure to leave some reviews!**

 **P.S.- Upcoming chapters may have some sexual themes, soooo….**

 **-Rae1399**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! You know the drill, feel free to leave reviews, and don't forget to follow/favorite the story! I'll be posting chapters regularly for the time being, so I hope you enjoy the story! Also, let me know some songs that you think would inspire a new chapter in the reviews!**

 **-Much love, Rae1399.**

" _I was just an only child of the universe/ And then I found you/ And then I found you/ You are the sun and I am just the planets/ Spinning around you/ Spinning around you/ You were too good to be true/ Gold plated/ But what's inside you/ But what's inside you/ I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you/ But not as much as I do/ As much as I do, yeah/ 'Cause you're the last of a dying breed/ Write our names in the wet concrete/ I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me/ I'm here in search of your glory/ There's been a million before me/ That ultra-kind of love/ You never walk away from/ You're just the last of the real ones."_ – Fall Out Boy, "The Last of The Real Ones".

The rest of the night was spent dancing, with Raven and Gar sneaking kisses when they thought no one was looking. When 2:30 AM rolled around, a sobered-up Cy drove Gar, Raven, and Keisha to the tower. Keisha sat shotgun, which left Raven and Gar to sit in the back, where the two giggled at the dumb jokes the changeling told.

We pull into the garage, and Cy puts the car into park. The radio in the car reads 3:09 AM, which is usually way later than I like to stay up. However, tonight was worth it. Cyborg walks around to the passenger's side and opens the door for Keisha, and then opens the back door so I can get out. When I exit the car and stand up, Gar is standing on the other side of the car, smiling at me.

I walk over to the changeling and grab his hand. I know we can't hide whatever we are from Cyborg, so I decide to just jump in. He smiles at me, and we walk behind Keisha and Cy to the elevator. When we get in the metal box, Cy looks at us and smiles wide. "So, it's finally happening. I'm so happy for y'all, you have no idea!" Keisha looks up at Cy and smiles. "Ya know, I can't speak for the entire public, but I know a lot of people, me included, that thought there was something between you two." Keisha smiles at us, and I just now realize how gorgeous she is.

"So, not to ruin the mood, but did you talk to her about the agreement?" Gar asks. I look at him with a confused expression, because I honestly have no idea what he's talking about. "Yeah, she's cool. Right?" Cy looks at Keisha, and she nods. I look at Cy, and a look of realization surfaces on his face. "Oh, Raven, I forgot. Every new, uh, _guest_ , needs to agree to not speak about Titans operations to anyone. Beastie and I kind of made that agreement after Terra…" His sentence trails off and doesn't exactly end, and I can tell that it still may be a touchy subject. I look up at Gar, and he just shrugs. The elevator stops at the living room, and I'm thankful for the break in awkwardness.

Cy leads Keisha down the hall to his room, and yells a goodnight to Gar and I as he walks. Gar looks at me and rolls his eyes, and I can't help but laugh. "Okay, real question, where is she going to sleep? Doesn't he need to charge?" I ask, and I hope it's not a stupid question. "Oh, well, he put a king-size bed in there about a year ago, so." Gar says as he shrugs his shoulders. "I just hope they're not loud. He really needs to soundproof his room." Gar looks at me and I can't help but laugh. This causes him to chuckle, and his bottom fang sticks out. "I soundproofed mine sometime last year." I looked at him, shocked, because I'm not sure if that was a fun fact, or something else. He looked at me, and he started to blush. "I mean, Cy made me because of my stereo. I like playing loud music, ya know?" He stutters.

"Mmmhm, sure." I look at him, and he sheepishly smiles at me. I head into the kitchen to make some tea, knowing that I'm going to need something to combat the hangover I'll have tomorrow. I grab the same green mug I used earlier and start to brew some green tea. I grab another mug, which has the Batman symbol on the front, and make another cup of green tea for Gar. I hear him walking toward me, so I turn around, both cups of hot tea in my hands. He stops in his tracks about two feet away from me, and smiles. "Are one of those for me?" He asks, and I hold out the Batman mug. He takes the mug, and takes a long sip of the hot tea. "Ya know, the green mug is my favorite, but you can use it, I guess." He winks at me, and I can't help but smile.

"Well, now it's my favorite mug, so." I look at him over my mug as I take a drink. "Well, you have good taste." He says as he walks toward me. He stops when our feet are toe-to-toe, and I look up at him to meet his gaze. "Wanna go listen to music?" he asks, and I nod, but only because I'm not tired yet. He grabs the hand that isn't holding my mug and leads me down the hallway. We get to his room, and he opens the door. Recently, I haven't been past the doorway of his room, and I'm not 100% sure what might be on the other side of the door.

The door slides open, and a clean room appears. The walls are grey, and covered with movie posters, music posters with bands and tour dates, and a small section of polaroid photos. There's a queen-size bed in one corner, where a TV on a stand faces it. The corner across from the bed holds a large stereo, complete with a full turntable on the top of the system. The room smells faintly like pine, but still like Gar. Honestly, I'm impressed.

"Wow, it's really nice in here, Gar." I say, and he nods. "Thanks, I try to keep it clean." He walks toward the stereo, where records sit in tall stacks. "So, what do you want to listen to?" He asks, and I shrug. He shuffles through the stacks of vinyl, and settles on an album that I don't recognize. The cover is colorful, and there seems to be a silhouette in a jungle on the front. "Ever heard of A Day to Remember?" He asks, and I shake my head. "They're pretty good, and one of my favorites." He drops the needle, and a song with heavy guitar starts to play. He motions for me to follow him, and I obey.

He sits on the bed, and pats the spot beside him. I sit next to him, and I hope that he's not expecting anything sexual yet. He turns toward me, and scoots himself to the middle of the bed, where he crosses his legs. I do the same, and face him. At this point, we're almost a foot apart, and we're just looking at each other. "Are you okay?" he asks out of nowhere. "Yeah, of course. Why?" I respond, and I'm not lying, I feel great with him. "Just asking, I want to make sure you're alright. How's your back?" I honestly forgot that even happened. "Good, I'm fine." He shoots me a half-smile, and reaches out to grab my hands.

His hands are calloused and warm, but they're gentle. His thumb runs across the back of my right hand, and he's looking at our hands. "You know, I still hate myself for letting you go with Aqualad. I knew he was a complete asshole, but I didn't say anything. I was just jealous I guess, but I should have told you. I'm really sorry, Rae." He looks up, and our eyes meet. "Listen, Gar. I wouldn't have listened to you anyway. I was young and stupid." I smile at him, but his face remains serious. "Tell me if I'm out of line, but I want to know something. Can we give this a shot? Like, honestly, you know? I've waited years for you, Rae. I've had feelings for you for as long as I can remember. I know this sounds wrong, but I was only with Toni because she reminded me of you."

I can tell he isn't lying, and his eyes are locked on mine, waiting for a response. I swallow, and make my decision. "Yeah, let's give this a shot." He smiles, and his hands let go of mine and move to either side of my face. "Are you sure?" He asks, and I nod. We hold the gaze between us, and slowly moves his face toward mine. I move closer to him and close my eyes. The feeling of our lips touching floods my body with warmth, and it feels like the sun is in my chest.

His thumb moves across my cheekbone, and I feel a fluttering feeling in my stomach. I push myself deeper into the kiss, and my arms wrap around Gar's waist. I feel his hands move down slowly from my face, to my neck, and down to my shoulders. He moves his hands down to my waist, and the fluttering feeling returns. He breaks the kiss slowly, and when he pulls away, he smiles. Out of nowhere, he slides his hands up under my arms and flips me on my back. He hovers over me, and I can't help but smile. His eyes are calm, and his smile is sincere. This isn't the beast, this is Gar.

He leans down and kisses me quickly, then pulls away. A mischievous grin spreads across his face, and he begins to tickle the sides of my stomach. My stomach tightens as I try to wiggle free, and I can't stop laughing. I try to catch his hands, but remain unsuccessful. Suddenly, he stops, and we're kissing again. We both laugh in between kisses, and I haven't felt so young in a long time. Gar makes me feel nostalgic, like I never left the tower in the first place. Right now, I'm genuinely happy. I feel alive, and I wouldn't trade this feeling for the world.

His hands slide down my sides, then back up under the hem of my crop top. I feel his hands softly run over the bottom of my ribs, and wonder if I can handle this. Suddenly, the light on his ceiling flickers wildly, then bursts. Shattered glass rains down from the ceiling, and Gar uses his body to fully cover me. I think the glass misses him, but I'm not certain. "Are you okay?" I ask, and he mumbles a 'yeah'. "Are you? That was crazy…" He pulls away, and even though it's dark, I can tell he's looking at me, so I assure him I'm alright. "Okay, good. Do you want me to stop? I'm sorry if I was going too fast, I can stop." I can tell he's being serious, and I shake my head. "No, it's okay. I just need to keep myself in check. It's fine, I promise."

Everything is more intimate in the dark, I've decided. I label that as the reason that I'm letting him continue. I feel close and secure, and I'm no longer nervous. His hands return to my sides, and we aren't kissing, but we are so close that I can feel the presence of his face nearly on top of mine. "Do it." I say, and I'm rushed with a feeling of déjà vu. At my command, our lips reconnect, and I feel in control. I circle my hands around his wrists and move his hands farther up my body. I feel a fire burning inside my chest, and I know I want more.

My inner emotions are comparable to his beast. Right now, I know both of our internal instincts are trying to release themselves, and I don't know if we're ready for that. His claws are faintly scraping my chest now, and I can feel the adrenaline in him rising. Half of me wants to push further, but the other half knows that it's dangerous. Tonight alone, we've already caused enough damage. I don't want to, but I try to ease myself away. Gar pushes himself up, pulling away from me. "Is everything okay?" he asks, and his voice is rough, but still caring. "Yeah, I'm fine, but I think we should slow down. I don't want to break anything else." I hear him chuckle, and I can tell that he's okay with my decision.

"I gotcha, good idea. We should probably fix the light, huh?" He stands and grabs his phone, which he uses as a flashlight. "Stay on the bed, there's still glass on the floor." He says, and I nod. He rustles around in his closet, where he finds a lightbulb. He flips the light switch to 'off' and screws the lightbulb in. He walks over and flips the light switch, and the room is bathed in light. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, but the light reveals a few things I wasn't aware of. I didn't realize until now that Gar's shirt was ripped in the back, probably from the glass, or that multiple posters that were once on the walls have fallen.

"Wow, it's kind of a mess in here." Gar chuckles. "Oh my god, I am so sorry." I get off the bed and start to put the fallen posters back up on the wall while Gar cleans up the glass on the floor. "You know, right now it seems messy, but I still think it's so cool that you can just move things like that." He says. "It's more of a curse, really. I wish I could keep myself in check all the time, but shit happens." I shrug. Gar finishes cleaning the glass while I put up the last poster, which has a pair of lips on it, titled "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". "You are aware that your shirt is ripped, right?" I ask. He reaches around to touch his back, and nods. "I thought something felt weird."

I don't know what I was expecting him to do, but I wasn't mentally ready for him to tear his shirt off. His muscles are well-toned, and he looks like a god. He smiled at me, and turned around to walk toward his closet. That's when I noticed his back, which was equally muscled. However, I don't remember ever seeing multiple scars, or the tattoo that spans over half of his back. I can tell exactly what it is from this distance, but it looks like a detailed Japanese-style dragon. "Whoa, I didn't know you had that tattoo." I say as I walk toward him for a closer look. I stop less than a foot away from his back and trace my fingers over the tattoo. The dragon is all black and grey, and well done.

"This is incredible, Gar. When did you get this?" I ask. "Probably four months ago. I really liked the style, and this one artist in West Jump City really nailed it." The tattoo covered the upper-middle part of his back, and it was huge. I decide not to ask about the scars, because once I look closer, I realize how bad they actually are. I run my fingers over the scars, and I feel his body release tension. "They're from battles, if you're wondering. For some reason, I keep getting myself into trouble. I blame the beast, he seems to get stronger as I get older." He chuckles, but I can tell that he's not happy about his inner demon. I wrap my arms around him, and clasp my hand around his stomach. I nestle my face into his back, and I feel his hands cover mine. "I understand." I say quietly.

We stand like this for about two minutes before he breaks the silence. "I love this, Rae. I really do, but I'm getting kind of tired." I drop my hands and he turns around to face me, and I instantly miss his warm body against me. "I'm pretty tired too. It's way past my bedtime." He smiles down at me, and I return the expression. "So, uh, wanna crash in here?" he asks, and he suddenly seems shy. "I'd love to, but I don't want Cy to think that anything, um, _happened,_ you know?" I respond. The changeling nods, and smiles at me. "I gotcha, no biggie. At least let me walk you to your room." I nod, and we head out to the hallway. We hear some noises, which we can only assume are coming from Cy's room. I see Gar roll his eyes, and I can't help but laugh. We eventually get to my door, which I open, but I don't enter. "Tonight was really great, Rae. I know I keep saying this, but I'm so glad you're home." He looks down at me, and I feel myself blush. "I'm glad to be home. Thank you for tonight, Gar. I had fun." He leans in and kisses me, then gently kisses my forehead. "Goodnight, Rae.", "Goodnight, Gar." We exchange smiles, and he walks down the hallway.

I enter my bedroom and crawl into bed, smiling from today's adventures. It's about 4 AM, and I definitely need sleep. The covers are warm against me, but I can't get comfortable. I toss and turn, but I still can't get any sleep. This bed feels too empty, given the current situation. I decide that I can't deal with this insomnia any longer, I need someone. I get out of bed and stretch, and can't help but feel nervous as I open my door. What if I knock and he doesn't respond? What if he says no? I cross my arms and walk to his door, and I hesitate before knocking. I debate turning around, but I'm already here. I knock three times, softly, but loud enough for him to hear. I hear something that sounds like shuffling, and then the door slides open to reveal Gar, who is only wearing black boxers.

"Hey, Rae, what's up?" he says, and I can tell he was sleeping. "I can't sleep, so, I was wondering if I could come in?" I can see his eyes widen, and he seems more awake. "Uh, yeah, of course!" he says, and he smiles. He grabs my hand and leads me through the dark room to the bed. I find a spot and lie down, and he joins me on the opposite side. He seems uncertain as he wraps his arms around me, but I welcome his embrace. We're facing each other, and I feel safe and comfortable in his arms. His steady breathing is like a lullaby, and it lulls me to sleep.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, more to come soon! Stay tuned! -Rae1399**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, leave some songs in the reviews! I need musical inspiration, and if I like the song you suggest, I'll use it for the next chapter!**

 **-Much love, Rae1399.**

" _When violet eyes get brighter/ And heavy wings grow lighter/ I'll taste the sky and feel alive again/ And I'll forget the world that I knew/ But I swear I won't forget you/ Oh if my voice could reach back through the past/ I'd whisper in your ear, / "Oh darling I wish you were here""_ -Owl City, "Vanilla Twilight".

The next morning, Raven woke up in the arms of her old friend. She knew this wasn't a drunken mistake, but the beginning of a long overdue relationship between her and the changeling. The night before was spent experimenting with inner emotions that seemed uncontrollable, but she knew it would take time to learn to control their demons.

I wake up to the sun peering through a window of a room that's not mine, and it takes me a few seconds to realize where I am. I look to the side and see a green man curled up next to me, his arm underneath the pillow holding my head. His other hand is draped over my hip, and his body is keeping me warm. I can't help but smile at his face, which currently looks youthful as he sleeps. I sit up slowly, trying not to wake Gar. The clock on his nightstand reads 9:36 AM, which means I slept in. I gently swing my legs over the side of the bed, and panic when I see Gar begin to stir. He makes a small groaning noise, and his eyes open ever so slightly.

"Rae?" he asks. "Hey, you can go back to sleep Gar, okay?" I say. His eyes open wider, little by little. He cracks a smile at me, and without any warning, he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back into bed. He pulls me closer to him, and I hear him whisper something along the lines of 'five more minutes'. He's holding me close enough that I can feel his breath on my neck. I figure that we're both pretty comfortable, but that doesn't lessen the fact that we already have a late start to the day. I start wiggling free when I smell something; food. "Gar, I think Cy is cooking." Gar lets go of me and shoots up. He leaps out of bed and I realize he's still in his boxers, and nothing else. I'm appreciating the view while he grabs a black shirt and pair of basketball shorts out of his closet. "Let's go, Rae!" he grabs my hand and pulls me to the living room.

When we get to the living room, the smell gets stronger. We look over to the kitchen area and see Cy and Keisha cooking at the stove. Luckily, neither of them saw us come out of Gar's room together. However, I just now notice that I'm wearing one of Gar's shirts, which is a dead giveaway. I don't remember putting it on, but Cy will definitely notice that the Bowling for Soup shirt that I'm wearing isn't mine. From a distance, I can tell that Keisha and Cy are flirting, and I think it's sweet. "Hey, what's cookin'?" Gar asks, and both Keisha and Cyborg turn around in unison. "Vegetarian bacon, regular bacon, waffles, sausage, and some eggs." Keisha responds.

Gar is practically drooling. "Holy shit, that's amazing! Keep this one around, Cy!" Gar says, and Cy chuckles. "I just might have to, BB. Foods up!" Cy and Keisha carry large plates of food to the table where Gar is sitting, and after throwing on a sweatshirt I conveniently left on the couch, I join them. We fill our plates and start to make small talk, courtesy of Keisha. "So, how's the food?" she asks. "Honestly, this is the best breakfast I've ever had! You need to teach Cy how to cook like that!" Gar says with his mouth full of waffles. I swear, he's like a child. "I learned how to cook from my mama when she was alive. She owned a café and let me work there when I was growing up, and after she passed, I took over." Keisha smiles at Gar, and I'm honestly surprised that she works as a chef and not as a model.

"Wow, that's really cool!" Gar says, and Cyborg and I nod in agreement. This food is _really_ good, he's totally right. So far, I think that Keisha is nice, and I happen to know that Cyborg wants to settle down within the next year. I'm mentally rooting for this relationship to be more than a one-night-stand, and I think Gar would agree with me. "So, how was you guys' night?" Cy asks, and I about choke on the bite of waffle I'm eating. I'm speechless, and I don't know if it's better if Gar speaks, but he opens his mouth to talk. "It was great! We listened to music pretty much all night, and I think my music taste is rubbing off on her." The changeling smiles, and Cyborg grins. "Cool, glad y'all had a good night." Cy looks over at me and winks, and I roll my eyes in response.

I finish my plate, so I get up and walk my dishes over to the sink. I decide to wash the dishes that are already there to help Keisha and Cyborg out. I get about halfway through the pile when Gar comes over and washes his plate, then grabs a towel. He stands to my left side, and starts drying the wet dishes. He smiles at me, and I realize how thankful I am for him. I didn't even have to ask, he just helps me when he knows I need it, and I love that quality. "Thank you, Gar." I say, and a huge grin appears on his face. "I'm always here to help, but you're welcome, Rae." We finish the dishes, and leave Cy and Keisha to clean up their plates.

Gar and I walk over to the couch and sit, and I watch as he channel surfs. He eventually decides on a documentary on Kurt Cobain, and he's caught my attention. I love documentaries, and I have always found Kurt Cobain's death to be interesting and unresolved. We're immersed in the drama of Kurt's life when Cy interrupts us. "Hey guys, I'm gonna take Keisha down to her café, alright? I'll be back in a bit." Gar and I nod, and Keisha tells us goodbye.

We watch the elevator door close, and Gar turns toward me. "Man, I hope we see more of her. I haven't eaten food that good in a long time!" he says exactly what I'm thinking, so I nod. "I think Cy has been looking for a girlfriend, and so far, I like her." I say. "Hopefully she wants the same thing. I know Cy wants commitment at this point, and I don't blame him. We aren't teenagers anymore, ya know? And it's not like girls are looking to be in a relationship with a superhero, let alone one that's half metal." Gar says, and I completely understand. Regular people usually aren't into superheroes, and that's why most superheroes marry other superheroes.

"I know what you mean. I don't think I could ever date a mortal, not like anyone would want to date a demon." I say, and I wonder if that sounded really depressing. "Everyone doesn't think like that." Gar says, suddenly serious. "What?" I ask. "I don't think like that." He's basically glaring at me now, and I tilt my head to the side, because I'm genuinely confused. He turns his body to face mine, and his face is solemn. "Raven. I don't give a shit if you're half demon. That doesn't define who you are; it never has, and it never will. I've been trying to tell you this since we were young." He lets out a stressed groan, and continues. "Can I tell you a story?" I nod, and he puts his hands over his face, and runs them down, then clasps his hands.

"When I was sixteen, I noticed something. No matter how close we were as a team, no matter how many missions we went on, no matter how much time we spent together, you always seemed so distant. I tried to get close, but you never let me, or anyone in. I did some research. I looked into Azarath, Trigon, the monks, everything. That's when I understood. You've been through so much just to keep yourself together, that you figured that you could never be able to handle a genuine, caring relationship. Right?" He looks at me with a caring intensity, and I nod.

"For the next few years after that, I tried to get you to open up. I tried to make at least a friendship with you, and you closed me off. I wasn't mad, because I understood. I just wanted you to trust me." He sighs and wrings his hands. "And Raven, I loved you. I really did, and I didn't care if you were a demon, or if you didn't like me. I loved you, and I know better than anyone how much it fucking sucks to have one-sided feelings, but they wouldn't die off. No matter what I did. Terra distracted me for a while, but she was nothing compared to you, Raven." He looks at me, and I can tell that what he's saying is true. His hurt is real, and I don't know what to say.

"I held those feelings with the same intensity for years, right up until you and Aqualad got together. I was so pissed that out of everyone you could have trusted to open up to, you picked him. I would have been less mad if it had been one of the teammates, but it wasn't me, and I hated you for that." His hands are clasped together so tightly that his knuckles are white. "You left for a couple years, and that let me breathe for a while. I focused on things other than you, and I was able to put my rage into something useful. I finally hit my growth spurt at 19, so I used all my rage to improve my body. I'd work out instead of think about you. I'd take hard missions and fight larger opponents, hence the scars on my back, which I know you saw." He looks at me, and I nod.

"After you left, I thought about you less. I decided that I had moved on enough to start dating again. A few months in, I met Toni. She reminded me so much of you, Raven. However, she wasn't good. You might be half demon, but you're still a good person. Toni wasn't; she would purposely make me jealous, she would piss people off for fun, and she was just rude. I let it happen, though. She filled the void that you left. I eventually accepted that you were gone, but I couldn't kill that tiny shred of hope that I had. I wanted you to come back. I wanted you to give me a chance, so I could show you how you deserve to be treated." He unclasps his hands and runs his hands through his hair.

"Raven, I still have feelings for you. After all this time. After all of the heartbreak and fucking nonsense, my only sanctuary was the thought of you coming home. That's why I kept your room the way it is. Every so often, I'd look in to make sure Cy didn't change anything. God, I wanted you home so bad. I felt like there was a hole in the tower, and honestly, a hole in me." He closes his eyes, and I feel my own eyes sting with tears. "I know this is a lot, but trust me when I say that these past few days have been the best I've had in a long time. You've made the tower a home again, and I'm so glad you're back."

I try to blink back the tears, but am unsuccessful once I see a drop fall from his left eye. I've never seen Gar cry, and now we're both speechless, crying on a couch in a gigantic 'T' that we call home. Everything is so small when you see something as a big picture, and only now am I realizing that he's right. Growing up, he tried so hard to know me, and I shut him out. I shut him out, even though I knew the feelings he had weren't one-sided; I had feelings for him the entire time. I wish I could tell him, but I'm speechless. I'm feeling so much right now, and right on cue, a white mug slides off the coffee table and shatters on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Rae." He says, blinking back tears. "They weren't one sided." I manage to choke out. His eyes open wide, and I try to continue. "I loved you too, I just didn't know how to." This is the most I have ever let my emotions show to anyone, and I hope he knows that. "Even when I was with Aqualad, I wanted to know what it was like to be with you instead." His mouth opens as if he's about to say something, but he remains speechless. Finally, he speaks. "Raven… Do you think we could make this work? Like, officially?" he asks me, and I never thought I would actually get to this point with him. "Gar, I just left Aqualad, so I don't want this to go public just yet, you know?" I say, and he nods. "However, yes. Between me, you, and Cy, it'll work." His face lights up, and he looks like a little kid.

"Thank you, Rae." Speedily, he wraps his arms around me, and I feel myself relax. "I do kind of want to take it slow though, I don't want to scare you off again." He says, and I think that taking things slow is a good idea. He pulls away, and his eyes are still red, but he's smiling. "Now, let's finish this documentary!" He says as he puts his arm around my shoulders. I nuzzle into his side, and I'm the most comfortable I've ever felt.

 **Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this quick chapter, don't forget to drop a song in the reviews section! -Rae1399**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Since I've already come up with a song concept for this chapter, I'm going to use two songs for this chapter, due to the fact that I got a suggestion in the reviews! (Thanks, Nightwing2013!) Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **-Much love, Rae1399**

" _And like the autumn leaves, I just can't help myself/ I'm falling, there's no doubt/ It's you and no one else/ Is there any chance for this dream romance?/ Should I just give up? What's a fool to do?/ Could you fall for me like I fell for you?_ " -Jeff Williams, "Not Fall in Love with You", suggested by Nightwing2013.

" _You are the stars in the sky/ You are the sound of the rain/ You are the strong sense of calm/ That takes away all the pain/ You are the rush of the wind/ I'm just a man on his knees/ Praying to God to grow old/ With the girl of his dreams/ You've got my heart in your hand/ You've got my hand if you want/ So please love me forever._ " -Front Porch Step, "If I Tremble".

The rest of the pair's night was spent as a lazy day, watching TV and discussing conspiracy theories, with the occasional opinion from Cyborg. The three ate chicken salads (Gar used tofu, obviously) and finished their night with a few rounds of Mario Kart, in which Raven remained victorious. Each team member slept in their respective rooms that night, and Raven was the first one awake in the morning.

I open my eyes, and they adjust to the darkness of my room. I grab my phone to check the time, and the screen temporarily blinds me. It's 7 AM, and I decide to get an early start on my day. I stand up, stretch, and crack my back. I make my way toward the bathroom, and luckily, I don't hear any commotion indicating that anyone else is awake yet. I open the bathroom door, close it behind me, and strip. The shower is welcoming, and I forgot how nice hot water feels on my skin.

I finish my shower, and the entire bathroom smells of lavender, the way I like it. I grab a comb from one of the drawers in the vanity and run it through my hair. I take some deep breaths, and I realize that relaxing in the early morning is one of the best forms of meditation. I walk out of the bathroom wrapped in a soft white towel, and I make it to my room without running into anyone. I put on a bra and underwear, and pull on an oversized black shirt and a pair of grey leggings. Currently, I feel at peace.

I make my way to the kitchen, where I brew a cup of earl grey tea to start my day. I carry my mug with me to the living room, where I stand in front of the window. The sun has risen, and the water reflects its rays. Me and the boys definitely live in the most beautiful part of Jump City, I decide. I'm focused on watching the waves crash against the rocks on the base of the tower when I feel a hand gently curl over my shoulder.

"Morning, gorgeous." A tired voice says behind me. I turn around, and a shirtless Gar is standing behind me. I look up and smile at him, to which he responds by tucking a piece of my still-wet hair behind my ear. "Good morning, sunshine." I say, and he bends down and plants a kiss on my forehead. "Damn, since you've moved in, my mornings have gotten 500% better, coincidence?" he asks. I chuckle, and he grins so wide that his bottom fang shows. We look out the window together and take in the scenery. "You know, I eventually want to move into a house of my own, but I don't think I'll ever beat this view." I sip my tea and nod. "I've always wanted to live in the middle of a forest; nothing but trees and wildlife. Glass walls, huge patio, whatever else I need to be happy." He says, and I honestly wouldn't mind that kind of life either. I feel myself blush at my own thoughts, and I really hope he doesn't notice.

"I mean, I also would want a wife and kids, but that's gonna wait." He says, and I almost spit out my tea. I try not to choke, and succeed, but just barely. "Honestly, Gar, I never pegged you as the type to settle down." I say. He glances in my direction, then returns to looking out the window. "I used to think that I was going to be a bachelor for life. When you have powers, girls want to be with you, but that's just because they want to say they've slept with a superhero. They don't want to settle down, they just want gossip, so I figured I'd never find someone to marry." He shrugs, and I fully understand what he's talking about.

"So, why don't you make it happen? Why don't you go look at houses? You have the money, and crime has almost stopped in the area." I ask, and he looks at me. "Well, I started looking at some houses before Toni came along, but she convinced me to stick around. Stupid decision." He sighs, so I turn to look at him, and he meets my gaze. "Who gives a shit? That's in the past, and something that minor shouldn't influence your future." I say, and after a few seconds, the changeling smiles. "You're so wise, Rae." He then stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, and kisses the side of my face.

We stand there for a few minutes before he finally breaks the silence. "Oh, I forgot to _not_ tell you this, but Cy has a surprise for you. It's Dick and Kori, they're coming over and bringing the kids around noon. It's nine, so I figured I'd give you enough time to mentally prepare for that." I'm glad Gar told me, because I do need to mentally prepare. Starfire (Kori) had another baby almost six months ago, and I've only met her new son once, and haven't really been in the picture due to Aqualad's restrictions. I feel like a terrible friend, but I'm excited to see my goddaughter. Their oldest child, Ellie, is three. When she was born, Gar and I were chosen as her godparents. When their son, Wayne, was born, they assigned Cy and Roy (Speedy) as his godparents. I'm excited to see all of them, but I feel bad that I wasn't around.

I think that Gar can feel my nervousness, because he squeezes me tighter. "Hey, it'll be okay. They're family, they'll understand. And plus, our goddaughter is really cute." He says, and I feel myself blush. Something about the word 'our' makes my heart race, and I'm not exactly sure why. "C'mon, I'll make us some breakfast. How about fruit salad?" He says as he unlatches from me and walks toward the kitchen. "Sure, sounds good." I say, and I follow him.

We chop up some pineapple and strawberries, and we throw them in a bowl along with some grapes and blueberries. Gar adds some watermelon, and I can't help but feel like we're only eating healthy because the kids are coming over, which gives me a thought. "Hey Gar, wanna make a big lunch for all of us today? I'm not the best at cooking, but I feel like it would be nice." I look at him, and he nods. "That's a great idea! What should we make? We have some time to go to the supermarket." He says. We continue talking, and decide to make another fruit salad, some roasted vegetables, and for our main course, we decide on baked chicken breasts (and tofu). We walk down to the garage and get in the T-Car. The ride to the supermarket is filled with singing along to Def Leppard and jokes, and we finally arrive.

We get out of the car and grab a shopping cart; which Gar pushes through the aisles. We grab all of the fruit, vegetables, and other produce we need quickly, and we thankfully do not see any fans or anyone we know. Our shopping trip is quick, thankfully, and we carry our groceries to the car with ease. As we're getting in the car, I get a text in a group message that includes Cy, Gar, and I. The text reads 'where are you?' from Cy, and I respond 'with Gar, grocery shopping for lunch'. I swear, sometimes the half-robot is the most motherly member of the team.

We eventually pull into the garage at the tower and haul our groceries to the kitchen. When we get to the kitchen, Cy is waiting for us, wearing a white apron. "So, I assume we're cookin'?" He asks, and I can't help but smile at his efforts to help. We unload the groceries together, and start to prepare the meal. I decide to make the chicken, Gar takes over fruit salad operations, and Cyborg begins to prep the roasted vegetables. I season the chicken to perfection, and am able to put the chicken in the oven at around 11:30, right about when Cy finishes the vegetables. Gar has finished the fruit salad and placed it in the refrigerator, so now all we are doing is waiting for the guests to arrive.

After some time, the timers we set for the food go off, and we begin to finish cooking. We put the food on our nicer set of plates and dishes, and set the table for seven. We finish getting ready when the elevator doors open, and a family enters the living room. Star looks radiant, wearing a purple v-neck top and light jeans, and Dick is wearing black pants and a blue shirt. Kori is toting around a baby carrier, and a small girl holds her other hand. Dick is carrying a diaper bag, and a plate covered with foil.

"Friend Raven!" Kori says, and she gently puts everything she's holding on the floor, and runs toward me and captures me in one of her bone-crushing hugs. I hug her back, but I'm out of breath. She eventually releases me, and I can see tears in her eyes. "We've missed you! Dick, Ellie, Wayne and I have been wondering when we'd see you next." She says, and I can tell that she's excited, yet hurt. "I'm so glad to see all of you, too. I'm sorry I wasn't around, guys." I say, and I genuinely feel bad. Dick walks over and pulls me into a hug, and he whispers in my ear. "We understand, Raven. We're glad you're back." I hug him back, and when we release, I feel a small grip on my leg.

I look down and see Ellie standing beside me, arms curled around my leg. I reach down and grab her by the underarms, and pull her to my side. I hold her close to me, and I can't help but smile when I see her green eyes light up. "Hi, Auntie Rae!" she says, and she instantly reminds me of her mother; so incredibly sweet. "Hi, Ellie! I like your dress!" I say, and I mean it. Her dress is light purple, and she's wearing matching shoes. Her red hair is pinned out of her face with a purple hair clip, and she looks adorable. "Thanks! Mommy says Uncle G got it for me!" She says, and we simultaneously look at Gar. He smiles at me, and she starts wiggling, so I put her down.

Ellie runs toward Gar, and he catches her and lifts her into the air. She laughs, and he smiles up at her. She loves him so much, and it's adorable. He brings her to his eye level, then hooks her to his hip. "Miss Ellie, how are you today?" his asks in a silly voice, and she giggles. "I'm good! Happy! Kitty?" She says, and I'm confused by the last part. That's when Gar puts her down on the living room floor, and she sits. He crouches down with her, and transforms into a green cat. "Remember Ellie, be nice!" Dick says, and she gently pets the cat version of Gar on the back. He purrs and rubs against her hand, and she smiles. I look around the room, and everyone is smiling. I never realized how good Gar is with kids until now.

She eventually stops petting him and she backs up, and Gar transforms back into his human form. He's sitting on the ground with her, and she tackles him. He catches her and holds her, and everyone can see how happy she makes him, and vice versa. Cy interrupts the moment. "Hey guys, we made lunch if y'all wanna eat." He says, and the family nods. "Of course, we brought cookies. Thanks, everyone." Dick says, and we all walk toward the table, with Gar carrying Ellie. Before sitting, Kori walks over to the pantry and grabs a highchair, which I didn't know we have. She sets Ellie's highchair up between where Gar and I are sitting, and then Kori sits next to Dick.

Cy begins cutting up the food, and we all dig in. Gar grabs a little bit of each food for Ellie, and he cuts each portion into smaller sizes for the toddler. We all begin eating, and I have no shame admitting that the three of us did a pretty good job. "This is most excellent!" says Kori, and we all nod in thanks. We're almost finished eating when Wayne begins crying, and Dick gets up to attend to his son. I finish my food first, so I walk my dishes over to the sink, then I walk over to check on Dick. He's holding his son in his arms, trying to calm his anger. "He notices me, then looks back down at Wayne. "He's been so fussy lately, and he doesn't seem hungry, doesn't need changed, nothing." I nod at him, and without thought, I hold my arms out.

Dick looks at me, then back down at Wayne, then at me again. He gently moves Wayne from his arms to mine, and the screaming baby fits comfortably in my arms. I start rocking the boy, and I think I hear his cries start to calm. Within thirty seconds, Wayne is silent. His eyes start to close, and Dick mouths 'thank you' at me. I nod, and continue holding the small human. I still can't believe that a human being can be this small; it's crazy. I run my thumb over the baby's cheek gently, and am surprised by how soft he is.

Dick walks toward the table to finish his dinner, leaving me to continue soothing Wayne, which I don't mind. "Look, he likes you." A whispering voice behind me says. The changeling steps out from behind me and faces me, a huge grin on his face. We're both looking at Wayne, and the baby is sound asleep. "You can probably put him back in his carrier, if you want." Gar says, but I shake my head. "No, I wanna hold him for a little longer." I say, and Gar looks at me with a hint of surprise. "I thought you didn't really like babies?" He asks. "People change. And frankly, these children are what changed my mind. Soon as Ellie was born, I got over my fear of children. I know I can't hurt them, so why be afraid?" I say, and Gar smiles. "I'm glad. You're gonna make a great mom someday, Rae." He says, and I feel myself blush. "I mean, if you want kids." He stammers.

I definitely want kids someday, but he doesn't need to know that right now. I hear the rest of the adults cleaning up, and decide to join them. I gently and slowly hand Wayne to Gar, then walk over to the table. I carry the remaining plates to the sink, where Cy is washing the dishes. Dick is wiping the table, and I see Kori walking away from the kitchen area. She catches my eye, and she motions for me to follow her. We walk toward my room, and I open the door for us. The door closes behind us, and she takes a seat on my bed. "So, friend Raven, what brought you back to our old home?" she asks, and I shrug. "I was just getting tired of Aqualad, I guess." I say, and she nods. "I was hoping you would realize that there is someone better for you than him." She says, and she smirks at me. "What?" I ask, and she chuckles. "I'm not the stupid, Raven. You and Garfield, you remind me of Dick and I." She says, and I feel myself blush.

"It was meant to happen, and I think you know that." She says, and I know that she's reading me like a book. "Well, it is happening, Star." I say, and she lights up. She springs up from the bed, and she grabs my hands in hers. "How joyous! Finally!" she says, and I can't help but smile. She may be married and have children, but she's the same Starfire. She lets go of my hands, and pulls me into another hug, this one more gentle than before. "Dick and I have known for years how much Gar loves you, Raven." She whispers, and she hugs me tighter.

Out of the blue, we hear a knock at my bedroom door. Kori releases me from her embrace, and I walk to the door and open it. On the other side of the door stands Gar, holding a smiling Ellie in his arms. "Someone wanted to have some girl time with her Auntie and Mama, huh?" he says, and Ellie nods. Gar passes Ellie into my arms, and I hold her on my hip. "Too much time with Uncle G, right?" I say, and Ellie laughs and nods again. He smirks at me, and I return the favor by sticking my tongue out, and Ellie follows suit. Gar laughs, and then walks away.

"Auntie Rae, has Uncle G always been green?" Ellie asks, and Kori shrugs. "Pretty much." I say, and she seems satisfied with that answer. "He's my favorite." Ellie says, and I nod. "You're his favorite." I say, and she smiles. "Really?" she lights up, and I nod. "Yes, Ellie." I say. She smiles even wider, and she looks exactly like her mother. "Auntie Rae, I want a cookie." Ellie declares, and I look at Star. She nods in approval, and we parade out of my room and into the kitchen. Gar is already at the plate of cookies, snacking away. "Uncle G! Cookie!" Ellie yells, and he gives her a grumpy look. "What do you say, Ellie Rae?" He says, and I have somehow forgotten that her middle name is Raven. "Pleeeeeeeeeease?" the toddler asks, and Gar grabs a cookie, then walks over to where the toddler and I are standing.

"Okay, because you asked so nicely." He says, and he hands Ellie the chocolate chip cookie. She eats the cookie, and she looks like she's enjoying it. "Want a cookie, Rae?" The changeling asks. "Sure." I reply, and he returns to where I'm standing with another cookie. "What do you say, Rae?" He's staring at me, a smirk plastered on his face. I roll my eyes. "Please." I say, and noticing that both of my hands are occupied, he puts the cookie near my mouth so I can get a bite. I mentally hope that nobody is paying attention. I eat another bite, and he pops the rest of the cookie into his mouth.

I glare at him, and he laughs at me. "Your Uncle G is a meanie, Miss Ellie." I say, and Ellie glares at him. "That's mean, Uncle G!" she yells, and I smirk at Gar. "I'm not mean, Ellie! You know that." He pleads, and she gives him a confused look. "I dunno, she's never been a meanie to you. That's why you love her, Uncle G." She says, a-matter-of-factly. Gar's mouth opens, and his face blushes. He looks at me, then at the ground, then at Ellie. "Kids say the weirdest things, don't they?" He stammers. "No, you said that, silly!" Ellie says, and Gar looks at the floor. "You got me, Ellie Rae." He says quietly as he walks away from us.

"Where's he goin'?" the toddler asks, and I shrug. "I don't know, I'll go look, okay?" I say, and she nods. I put her down on the floor, and she walks over to her father. I take one look back at the group of people in the living room before walking in the direction the changeling went.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying this story, remember to leave song suggestions in the reviews!**

 **-Much love, Rae1399.**

" _I saw you standing on the corner/ I saw you standing on your own/ And I get the feeling that it's, it's all a dream/ And I wanna get up/ To the rhythm of a wild, to the rhythm of a wild heart/ That beats, that beats like a drum/ When I fall asleep I can see your face/ What I lost in you I will not replace/ And I could run away, I could let them down/ But I will remember your light/ Your light it follows me in darkness/ I'm trying hard but I can't win/ And I've played the victim for a long long time/ And I wanna grow up/ From the rhythm a young, from the rhythm of a younger heart/ It leads just like a river runs_." -Bleachers ft. Sia, "Like a River Runs".

Raven followed the changeling down the hallway, and she caught up with him in his room. He was sitting on his bed, holding his head in his hands. He eventually realizes that she has followed him, and sits up. She walks over to him, and he realizes that he can't hold back anymore.

I enter the open door to his room, and I see him crouched over, sitting on his bed. To say the least, he looks distraught. He looks up briefly, and straightens his back upon seeing me. I can't help but worry if I did something wrong, but I don't know what I possibly could have done. "Did I do something, Gar?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "No, not at all. I'm not mad. I'm just kind of frustrated at myself, I guess. Can we talk?" He asks, and I nod and sit down beside him.

"I wasn't completely honest the other day. I was minimizing my feelings, and I don't want to scare you, but I've been holding myself back for so long. Raven," he turns to face me, and grabs my hands in his. "I can't not be honest with you. I've been waiting for this for so long, and I can't keep lying to myself. I know I might sound crazy, but I can't help it." He takes a deep breath, and his grip on my hands tightens ever so slightly. I squeeze back, and our eyes meet. We sit in silence for about thirty seconds before he takes another deep breath. We're gazing into each other's eyes, and I know we both feel vulnerable.

"Raven, I love you." He says, and I swear I feel my heart stop. Stacks of vinyl records crash to the floor, the light in the closet flickers on and off, and the stereo turns on and begins playing some music, all because of my emotions. I don't know what to say, and no matter what ruckus my emotions cause, Gar keeps my gaze locked in his. "You don't have to say it back, trust me, I know it's really early, but I can't deny what I've felt for years, Rae." I'm still speechless, and I don't know how to process this. My hands are shaking, and I know Gar can feel them trembling.

He lets go of my hands, and opens up his arms. Without a second thought, I throw myself forward into his clutch. He holds onto my tightly, and he rests his head on top of mine. "I don't want you to be lonely, or in the arms of a different man, Raven." He whispers. His embrace is warm, and I don't want to move. I feel so vulnerable, much like a small child. I feel how we did when we were kids; unsure of everything and not in control of my unstable emotions. I know for a fact I can't say it back right now, the entire tower would probably explode.

"Are you okay?" he asks softly, and I nod. I pull away from his hold, he looks worried. "I didn't mean to stress you out, Rae. I'm sorry." He says, and he means it. I smile at him. "It's okay Gar, just give me some time, okay?" I say, and he nods, then smiles at me. "Everything okay?" he asks, and I nod. He stands up, and I follow him out of his room, and back into the living room where everyone is watching the TV.

Gar and I sit in an empty spot on the couch, and we both look at the TV. The others are watching something that looks sort of old, and I then realize what we're watching. Home videos of the entire team flash on the screen, and I glance back to my teammates on the couch, and they're all smiling. Videos of younger versions of all of us play on the screen, some clips of us fighting crime, some of us just goofing around. A video of the team hanging out at a picnic is on the screen, and the current scene is Dick and Kori sitting, leaning on each other for support. "Mama! Daddy! That's you!" Ellie yells, and her parents smile. "Yeah, that's us!" Dick says, and I smile. That relationship is the most stable and meant-to-be in the world.

The screen flashes black for a moment, and the next video clip is of me, and I'm fighting who looks to be Mad Mod. This is a news clip, so you can see everyone in the shot. It seems that Gar and Cyborg are bound by one of Mad Mod's traps, and the only audio you can hear is Gar screaming my name. Robin eventually swoops in, and we take down Mod. The clip cuts, and the next shot is a view of the team as a whole. That's when I notice that Gar rarely takes his eyes off of me in these videos, and I'm not sure if that's a coincidence.

Some photos have made their way into the home video DVDs, and most of them are of Dick and Kori. About six photos in, a picture of Gar and I eating pizza pops up onto the screen. He has one arm around me, and I look unamused. The next picture is of me, Cy, Gar, and a large stuffed chicken. Cyborg starts laughing, and Gar smiles. The screen flashes black, and the next picture catches my breath. It's of Gar and I, and we look like we're walking toward the sun, but we're on the beach at the base of the tower. It's not intimate, but it's truly a gorgeous shot. "Hey, I took that!" Cy says, and I smile. "It's beautiful, Cy." I say, then I mentally remind myself to ask him for a copy of that picture.

The next picture that comes onto the screen is of me and Gar, yet again. This time, it's focus is Gar, but he's looking at me. I'm not paying attention to the camera, and I was apparently looking elsewhere, but he's looking at me with a slight smile on his face. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but there's a look in his eyes that makes me blush. In real time, Gar looks at me and smiles. I never knew how much he actually liked me until I saw these pictures, and now I know.

He wasn't lying when he said he's loved me for a long time. Honestly, he wasn't lying when he said he loves me now. After today, I know I can't just let this go. I can't let this man go on alone any longer, and I don't want to. I don't give a shit if my emotions get in the way, I know he'll help me overcome anything that hinders us. He deserves the world, and from watching the screen just now, I know he thinks the world of me. I want to give him everything, and I need to give him the happiness he deserves. I want to love him, and I think I'm well on my way to feeling that.

I grab onto his hand and lean my head on his shoulder. He turns his head and looks at me, and he looks surprised, but then he smiles. He squeezes my hand briefly, and then kisses the top of my head. I hear Kori slap Dick's leg rapidly, and I can tell she's looking at Gar and I. I can basically feel all of the eyes on us, and I decide this is easier than explaining Gar and I's relationship verbally. I squeeze Gar's hand, and I never want to let go.

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this quick little chapter! More to come soon, and don't forget to flood the reviews with song suggestions!  
-Much love, Rae1399. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I'm starting a new full-time job, going to a convention, and going on vacation within the next two weeks, so this might be the last chapter for a while (not the last chapter EVER, though!). I'll try to update the story as soon as I can, and I'll work on a new chapter when I can! Leave some song suggestions! Once again, there are TWO song inspirations; thanks Aqua Rules! Also, there's going to be a bit of a twist on this chapter.**

 **-Much love, Rae1399.**

" _All because of you/ I haven't slept in so long/ When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean/ Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down/ Inside these arms of yours/ All because of you/ I believe in angels/ Not the kind with wings/ No, not the kind with halos/ The kind that bring you home/ When home becomes a strange place/ I'll follow your voice/ All you have to do is shout it out_." -Rise Against, "The Good Left Undone".

" _And all of these moments/ Just might find their way into my dreams tonight/ But I know that/ they'll be gone/ When the morning light sings/ And brings new things/ For tomorrow night you see/ That they'll be gone too/ Too many things I have to do/ But if all of these dreams might find their way/ Into my day to day scene/ I'd be under the impression/ I was somewhere in between/ With only two/ Just me and you._ " -Jack Johnson, "Better Together" (Suggested by Aqua Rules).

The gang finished watching the home videos, and the small family eventually left the tower. Ellie hugged her godparents and Cyborg goodbye, and Gar and Raven promised to watch her and Wayne the next weekend while her parents were out of town. The rest of the evening was uneventful, and the team retreated to their bedrooms at the end of the night.

I get out of the shower and check my phone, and the screen reads 6:07 AM. I'm the first one awake, and I'm going to use this opportunity to plan something really special. I know that last night was sort of weird, and I want to let her know that I meant what I said. She deserves the world, and I want her to know that.

I walk into my room and look through my closet. I eventually decide to wear a clean-smelling shirt that I got from an Offspring concert and a pair of jeans. After I get dressed, I spray on some cologne and put on some deodorant, and hope that I don't smell like a total douchebag. I walk over to my turntable and blindly pick a record from the stack closest to me, and it looks like I'm going to be listening to Panic! At the Disco's "Pretty Odd" album this morning. I start spinning the record, and sit on my bed. I don't want to be too cheesy, but she deserves the best. I should probably start with breakfast, but Rae usually wakes up fairly early, so I need to decide quickly.

I reach for my nightstand drawers and pull out a notebook, and I rip a page out. I grab a pen, and I scribble _'Meet at the garage, 9 AM? -Gar'_ onto the page, and draw a little smiley face. Hoping she's not awake yet, I quickly walk to her door and slide the piece of paper through the gap between her door and the floor. I run back to my room, paranoid that she'd open the door while I was there. I make it to my room unseen, and I decide to take her to a tea shop that she showed me when I was 16. I google the name to make sure it still exists, and thankfully, it does.

It's about 7 AM, and Rae still doesn't seem to be awake, so I run down to the beach. The coast along the base of the tower is sandy, but the base of the tower sometimes grows wild lilies and some roses that Star planted there years ago. I find the flower bushes and pick three red roses and a few lilies, some white and some orange. I run back to the tower and take the elevator up, and when I arrive in the living room, Cy gives me a weird look.

"What's that all about, BB?" he asks, and I shrug. "I wanted to do something nice for Rae, and I thought flowers were a good idea, yeah?" I say, and he nods. "Yeah, I don't see why not. What's the rest of the plan?" he asks, and I stop to think. Other than getting tea, what _is_ the rest of the plan? "Well, I was gonna take her to a café for tea, but I'm not really sure after that." I say, and I secretly hope Cy has some ideas. "You should take her to the playhouse, they're doing The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and apparently it's really good. She'd love it." he says, and it's such a good idea that I whip out my phone and look up where to get tickets. "Thank you so much, Cy. I'll order tickets, don't ruin the surprise." I say, and he nods.

I eventually find the site and order some tickets, and decide to keep everything a surprise until we arrive at each place. I arrange the flowers and hold them together with a rubber band, which isn't classy, but it's all I have. It's almost 8, so I walk out to the kitchen to grab a snack before we get tea. When I walk to the kitchen, Raven is sitting at the table, reading a book with a black cover. "Good morning!" I say, and she smiles. "Morning, Gar." She replies, and I open the refrigerator to look for a snack. I decide on an apple, and I walk over to the table to sit beside Rae.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asks, and I shrug. "Dunno, you'll find out when we get there." I say, and I wink at her. She rolls her eyes, but then I see her smile. "Alright, be that way. Hopefully it's a good surprise." She says. "Trust me, mama, it is." I say, and I lean over and kiss her on the cheek. I bite into my apple, and she looks up from her book. "Oh yeah, and what are we going to do with the kids next weekend?" she asks, and I shrug. "I honestly don't know. Can't do much to entertain a six-month-old, but Ellie gets bored easily, so it's not like we can just sit around." I respond, and she nods.

"We'll worry about that next week. I have something for you." I say as I walk toward my room, and she follows. I grab the flowers, and turn around to meet her. She smiles, and I think I see her blushing. I can't help but smile, too; she's just so cute. I hand her the flowers, and she holds them gently. "Thank you, Gar. They're beautiful." She says. "Hey, so are you!" I reply, and I don't realize how stupid I sound until after I say it. Luckily, she laughs, and I mentally sigh of relief.

"So, it's almost 9, are you ready?" I ask, and she nods. I walk out of my room, holding Raven's hand, and guiding her to the elevator. "By the way, I didn't tell Cy that I'm taking the car, but I think he assumes we're using it?" I say, and she rolls her eyes, but she smiles. "We should be fine as long as you drive like a respectable person." She says, and I act fake offended. "I'm a great driver!" I say, and the elevator stops in the garage. We walk to the T-Car, and I open the door for her, and she thanks me. I climb into the driver's side and close the door behind me, then plug my phone in. "Go into my music," I say as I hand Rae my phone, "and pick whatever you want to listen to." She looks surprised, then starts scrolling.

I back out of the garage and start driving, then I hear Everlong by Foo Fighters begin to play through the speakers. "Holy shit, Rae, didn't know you liked this kind of music. Dave Grohl is a beast." I say, and when I glance over, she's smiling. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a smile on her beautiful face, and I'm making it a lifetime goal to make her smile as much as possible. I start smiling at the thought of her smiling, and then I start to laugh from that thought. She's looking at me like I'm weird, so I try to cover up by singing along to the song.

"… _And I wonder  
If everything could ever feel this real forever  
If anything could ever be this good again  
The only thing I'll ever ask of you  
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when._"

She's looking at me again, but this time, she doesn't look confused. She's looking at me like she's trying to read me, and I try to take that as a good thing. I won't stop trying to woo her until she looks at me like I look at her, and I think she's on her way, I just need to catch her in the act. In mid-thought, the song ends, and Rae picks up my phone to choose another song. I smile at the fact that she is comfortable enough to just use my phone without asking now, and I don't mind; I have nothing to hide.

The next song she picks is heavier, and then I realize it's the song "A Lot Like Vegas" by Bring Me the Horizon, which is the kind of music I'd expect her to be into. I keep driving, and I feel her eyes on me. "I think I know where we're going." She says, and I sigh. "I should have blindfolded you." I say, and I turn to her and wink. I look back to the road, but I hope she's at least blushing. We pull in to the café parking lot, and I park away from the other cars. I get out of the car and walk over to the passenger's side to open the door for Raven, and when I do, she gets out of the car and simply stares at the café.

"I haven't been here in years, I hope it's still as good as it was back then." She says, and I smile, especially since I know that it's changed in a way that she isn't expecting. A few years back, the café released Titan-inspired drinks, including a matcha inspired Beast-tea, an herbal tea brewed with lavender with Raven's namesake, a bright blue slushie for Cy, an orange citrus iced tea blend for Starfire, and a high-energy espresso power drink called the Robin. "Well, there's kind of a surprise within the surprise. Let me order your drink, okay?" I say, and she gives me a weird look, so I grab her hand and give her my best puppy-dog face. "Trust me, you'll love it." I say, and she rolls her eyes. "Fine, but it better not be gross, or I'll make you drink it." She says, and I smile. "Deal." I say, and we walk toward the café.

I open the door for us, and when I walk up to the counter, the barista, Todd, waves at me. "Hey, Todd, what's up?" I ask, and he leans over the counter and gives me a fist bump. "Nothing much, it's been slow today. And my oh my, do you have quite the lovely lady here! I haven't seen you in years, love! How are you?" He asks Raven, and she smiles. It's impossible to not smile, Todd has owned this shop for years and is pushing 70 years old, and he never forgets a customer. "I'm good, Todd. I haven't been here in so long, I'm glad to be back." She says, and Todd smiles. "So, let me guess, a Beast-tea, and a Raven?" Todd asks, and Rae looks confused. I point to the chalkboard that lists the drinks, and she smiles upon seeing the names. "Yes, please!" I say, and Todd turns around and starts making the drinks.

"So, when did that happen?" Raven asks, and I smile. "A few years ago, Todd wanted to honor me for annoying him so much as a regular customer. I helped him make the drink recipes, too. Yours is the best, trust me." I say, and Todd returns with two cups; a purple mug and a tall glass with a purple straw. "Drink up, you too. And missy, let me know how you like it, and be honest, you won't hurt my feelings!" Todd says, and Raven laughs. "I'm sure I'll love it, Todd." She says, and the old man smiles. "And if you don't like it, blame greenie over here, he spent a lot of time making that drink perfect." He says, and I blush out of embarrassment. Raven looks at me, I smile at her, and I'm pretty sure I look like a dork.

To push through the awkwardness, I clink my glass against her mug, and we begin to drink. My matcha is excellent, as always. I look over at Rae, and her eyes open wide. She pauses for a moment, still holding her mug. "Gar, this is amazing!" she says, and I smile. "Hear that, Todd? She loves it!" I yell, and all we hear is an "Aha!" from the back of the store. We both laugh, and I walk a $20 bill to the counter. I never get charged for my drinks, so I always try to tip nicely. I've been here so many times that I could probably fund the place for the next few years. I'm usually here alone, though, but now I have Raven, and now my favorite coffee shop is somehow even better.

Todd comes out from the back of the store carrying two trays, each with different small desserts. "So, I've been cooking up new ideas for the dessert case, and these are the test dummies." He says as he sets the trays on our table, then he pulls up a chair between me and Rae. "I haven't tried these myself, so I figured I'd share with my best customer and his best teammate." He says, and Raven and I both crack a smile. All of us grab a fork off the tray and try a small piece of each dessert, and they're all really good. "I vote: all of them!" I declare, and the old man smiles. "Ditto!" Raven says, mouth full of dessert. "Excellent! I'll debut them next weekend! Will you guys be here?" he says, and a lightbulb turns on in my head. "Hey, Rae! We can take Ellie and Wayne to the new dessert unveiling!" I say, and her eyes light up. "Oh my god, yeah! Ellie would love that and Wayne shouldn't be hard to control." She says, and I mentally give myself a pat on the back.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, Todd. You're gonna meet Dick and Kori's kids, too!" I say, and Todd smiles. "Ah, I love kids. I wish mine were still little." He says, and I can tell that he's looking forward to meeting the kids. If I remember correctly, his 3 kids are all 35+ years old, and the only one that visits comes around maybe 3 times a year. Small children love Todd, mostly because he gives them free desserts and made a generous sized play area in the café. Todd is the kind of man I want to be when I'm older; kind and proud of his community. He's a great man, and he treats me like one of his grandkids, which makes me feel like I have a family within Jump City.

"We should probably head out, Gar. I think Cy is making lunch today." Rae says, after she nudges me on the shoulder. "Yeah, gimme one sec." I say, and I go back into the kitchen where Todd is washing the dishes. "We're gonna head out, Todd. We'll see ya next weekend!" I say, and the man comes over and claps a hand on my shoulder. "Okay Garfield, be careful going home! And take care of that young lady out there, she's a keeper." He says, and I can tell he's being genuine. "That's the plan, Todd. We'll see ya later!" I say, and he nods. I return to the dining area, and Rae is standing next to the door. I stop in my tracks. The sunlight from the nearby window illuminates her face and body, and she looks like a goddess. She's giving me a look that is somewhat intimidating, yet curious.

"Raven, I don't know if I say this enough, but you're absolutely stunning." I say, and I'm surprised by how clearly it came out; no embarrassed stammering or anything. She blushes, and I walk toward her. "I mean it." I say when I reach her, and I look into her violet eyes. "Thanks, Gar." She says, and the redness in her face deepens. We walk out to the T-Car, and when I open the door for her, she stops, gets on her tip-toes, and kisses me on the cheek. I crack a smile, and she gets in the car without another word. I sit in the driver's seat, and turn toward the empath. "So, good first surprise?" I said, and she nods. "I told you that you'd love it!" I say, and she smiles wide, which has been happening more frequently. "You're right, for once. I did love it, and what do you mean by _first_ surprise?" She says, and I wink at her.

We drive back to the tower, and the show starts at 5:30, so I tell her to meet me on the roof at 4:45 in her favorite dress. There's no reason to be on the roof, other than dramatic purposes, and the fact that I'm gonna have Cy take pictures of us all dressed up. When we ride the elevator up to the living room, Cy is in the middle of making lunch. "Welcome back, guys. Have a good time at Todd's?" He asks, and Raven responds before I do. "Cy, it was amazing!" she says, and she sounds extremely excited, which makes her ten times more adorable. "That guy is a drink-making magician." Cy says, and Rae and I both nod. "Okay, grilled cheese and tomato soup is ready! Come and get it!" Cy yells, and I can practically feel my mouth watering.

We gather our plates and sit at the table, and I dig in. "Just like mom used to make!" Cy says, and his smile falls as he looks between the two of us. "Shit." He says, and Raven and I burst out laughing. Raven and I understand that growing up without parents (or just a shitty dad) sucks, but may as well have a sense of humor about it, right? Cy looks relieved at our laughter, and everyone seems to lighten up. The clock on the stove says 1:06, so I take my time eating with my friends as a team, and honestly, it's one of the best feelings. I'm glad Raven is home, because truthfully, this tower isn't a home without her.

We eventually finish eating, and I help Cy with the dishes. "So, did you get tickets?" He asks, and I nod. "Yeah, the showing is at 5:30. Could you come take some pictures of us on the roof?" I ask, and he gives me a weird look. "That's random, but yeah, I can do that. I've been wanting to try out my new camera anyway." He says, and I'm glad. "Hey, thanks man." I pause. "And hey, be honest with me, do you see Raven and I working out?" I ask, and he stops washing the dish in his hand. "Honestly, yeah, I do. But I think you're psyching out. Raven needs time to adjust, BB. I think you're excited, and I understand, but don't rush things. I know you. If you had your way, you two would be engaged by now."

The last thing he says makes my mind stop racing, because I know he's right. A couple years back, I even bought a ring. I was so dead set on her coming back, even though I knew she probably wouldn't, that I bought the ring to hold on to some kind of hope. It's a beautiful ring, but it's modest, just like her. I paid a little bit extra to the jeweler to make sure he never spoke of the transaction, because the last thing the public needs to know is that I had plans to get engaged. Actually, no one except me and the jeweler know that I have the ring, and I want to keep it that way.

"You do know me. And trust me, I really am trying to take it slow with her, it's just so hard to keep all of my emotions in check. Dude, I've wanted her and I to be a thing for so long. Hell, almost ten years. It's crazy." I say, and it's true. I was 14 when I joined the Titans, and now at 22, I still love her just as much as I did back then. She drives me crazy, but in the best way possible. I continue washing dishes, and then as we near the end of the seemingly bottomless stack of plates, Cy breaks the silence.

"Beastie, listen. Don't let her shut you out. Don't pry, but don't let her mind eat her alive. Honestly, since we were young, you two have balanced each other out. Your humor and childishness distracts her from her inner turmoil, and she stabilizes you when you're not serious enough or when you use humor to cover up your bad emotions. It's like Kori and Dick; she's his light, he's her dark. Basic shit." He says, and I'm taken aback. He may seem like he's never serious, but Cyborg is the wisest person I know. "I really needed to hear that, actually." I say, and he nods. "Go get ready, I'll put dishes away." He says, and I nod. "Thanks, man. You're the best, I mean it." I say, and he nods. "I know." He replies, and I head to my room.

When I enter my room, the first thing I notice is a lily on my bed. I walk over and pick the flower up, and there's a note attached by a ribbon.

" _Everyone deserves flowers, especially you. -Raven_ "

I can't hold back a smile, and I'm honestly surprised that Raven has done something so romantic. I'm giddy, mostly because this confirms that what we have isn't one-sided. I prop the flower up against my stereo and grab my favorite record to listen to when I'm happy. I start spinning the vinyl, and the sweet voice of Frank Sinatra pipes through my stereo. I walk over to my closet and push my t-shirts out of the way to find my suit collection. I have a few tuxedos, but for tonight, I'm just going to wear a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath, and a black bowtie.

I pull the suit out of my closet and put it on, and _damn_ , I look good. My hair is actually cooperating today, and honestly, I feel pretty great. I splash on some cologne, enough to smell nice, but not enough to drown people's nostrils. I tie my bowtie, and I give a final look at myself in the mirror. An idea pops into my head, and I grab a pin from the sewing kit I keep in my desk. I grab the lily and pin it to my suit jacket, and it looks good. Hopefully Raven thinks so, too. I straighten out my suit and look for any lint, then give myself a last look in the mirror. Satisfied, I grab my phone and wallet, and head toward the elevator.

I get in the elevator unnoticed, and I push the "R" button to go to the roof. I check my phone, and it's 4:30, so I'm a bit early. The elevator stops, and when the door opens, I'm practically blinded by the sunlight. I walk out to the edge of the tower, and I take in the view of Jump City. The buildings look clustered together, but they somehow still look harmonious. I'm happy to call this city home, and it's even better living here with the team.

My thoughts are interrupted by the elevator doors opening. I stand up straight and turn around, hoping I look good, when I realize it's just Cyborg. "Hey, Cy. Rae isn't here yet." I say, and he nods. "I see that. It's really nice out, so the pictures should turn out nicely." He says, fiddling with his camera. I nod, and continue looking at our almost aerial view of the city. I hear the elevator doors open again, and I turn around.

She's wearing a black dress that has long sleeves and ends right above her knee. The neckline plunges enough to reveal some cleavage, but not deep enough of a neckline to be considered clubwear. She's wearing a black choker necklace, and a black pair of heels. She looks seriously incredible. "Wow, Rae." I say, and I'm aware of how stupid I sound, but I figure it's better than saying nothing. "Wow, yourself. You look great, Gar." She says as she walks toward me. She stops and stands next to me, and even with heels, she only comes up to a little above my shoulder. "You look absolutely incredible, Rae." I say, and she smiles.

"Okay guys, stand together." Cy instructs, and we stand side by side. I wrap my arm around her back and put my hand on her side, and she does something similar. We smile for the camera, and Cy takes a few shots. After that, he poses us and takes a few more artsy pictures, using the lens flare from the sun to his advantage. After about 10 minutes of picture-taking, Cy seems satisfied with his results. "I'll show these to you guys later, I'll edit them a bit." He says, and we nod. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it." I say. "You're welcome, BB. Be careful, don't wreck the T-Car." He says, and I nod. Raven and I get in the elevator, and Cy stays on the roof, admiring the view for himself.

We take the elevator down to the garage, and we are silent the entire ride, but it isn't awkward. When we arrive, I open her door for her and climb in the driver's seat. I hand her my phone, and she starts looking through my music. We buckle up, back the car out of the garage, and start our drive to the second surprise. "I like your flower." She says, and I smile. "Thank you, I like it too." I respond, and I can already tell that today is going to be a good day.

We drive into the city, listening to The Used, per Raven's choice. "So, where are we going, exactly?" she asks, and I look at her briefly. "It's a surprise, so I'm not telling you." I respond, and she lets out a sigh. I smile, and I can tell she is annoyed by my surprises, but I don't care. We pull around the front of the theater, and I find a parking spot. "We're here, gorgeous." I say, and she rolls her eyes, then smiles. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show, two tickets, you and me." I say, and her eyes grow wide. "Gar, this is great!" She says, and she reaches over the center console and hugs me. She catches me off guard, and I feel butterflies in my stomach. I hug her back, and I don't want to let go.

We exit the car and walk toward the theater, where the usher scans my e-tickets on my phone. We enter the dimly lit theater, and veer toward the door that leads to the seating area. I open the door for Raven, and when we both stand in the aisle, we realize that we're fairly overdressed. Everyone seems to be wearing grunge clothing, or some kind of costume. I realize that the fan base for this production is unique, but I thought that you're supposed to dress up to go to shows. Raven nudges me, and I whisper, "I know, we're overdone." She nods, but we find our seats and sit anyway. We get a few stares, but I'm used to it, being green doesn't really go unnoticed.

The show starts, and the actors are playing their parts beautifully. We all laugh, sing along, and a few people even cry. Periodically, the crowd screams and shouts, and the entire environment is bizarre, but I'm not sure what I was exactly expecting. When the show ends and the curtain is pulled, everyone, including Raven, stands and claps. I take a few seconds before standing because I'm not exactly sure what the protocol is for theaters, but eventually join the clapping and cheering crowd. After the lights come back on, people flood the aisles on their way to the theater lobby, presumably to wait around to meet the actors. Honestly, it's refreshing to go basically unnoticed.

Rae and I eventually mill through the crowd and make it outside, where we see a few people standing near the T-Car. I feel my senses heighten, and I really hope these people aren't looking for trouble. I don't like making a scene, especially if it's negative. Raven looks at me, and I can tell she's wary about the group as well. We walk toward the car and the gathering notices us, and the one woman holds up her hands as she walks forward. "Hey, we're not here for any trouble, just saw the car and wondered if we could get some pictures with you." She says, and Rae looks at me. I shrug, and we pose with the entire group while a bystander takes a picture with the woman's cell phone.

"Hey, thank you both!" the woman says after Raven and I sign some autographs. "You're welcome, hope you enjoyed the musical!" I reply, and the woman smiles and nods. Before getting in, I do a once-over of the outside of the car and get in. Raven is already buckled up and ready to go, and she's smiling. "Thank you so much for everything, Gar. The flowers, the café, the show, all of it was incredible." She says, right before she leans in to kiss me. I kiss her, and it's like the world has stopped spinning, and it's just me and her. I don't even care if people can see us in the car, I could scream that I loved her at the top of my lungs and wouldn't care at this point. Who gives a shit about our past, or Aqualad, or Toni? Nothing else matters but her now, and she needs to know that.

We eventually pull away from each other, both of us smiling ear-to-ear. I hand her my phone, and she starts playing some Cage the Elephant. We begin the journey back home; one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding the love of my life's hand. I don't even hesitate when I mentally decide that this is the best day of my life so far, not including the day that I met Raven.

 **Hope you guys liked that chapter! I'll try to update this as much as possible!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, I've been away for a while and haven't been writing, thank you all for being so patient, I hope you all enjoy chapter 10! Special thanks to everyone who follows this story for updates and don't forget to leave a song recommendation in the reviews!**

 **-Much love, Rae1399.**

"And in my dreams you're alive and you're crying, / As your mouth moves in mine, soft and sweet, / Rings of flowers 'round your eyes/ And I'll love you for the rest of your life when you're ready." -Neutral Milk Hotel, "Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2".

She has a halo of light around her head as she walks toward me, wearing a white robe over a dress. She's carrying something in her arms, which seems to be a bundle of white cloth. Her hair is longer than usual, and a small hand reaches up from the cloth to pull at her violet locks. She walks toward me and stops about a foot away from where I'm standing, close enough to let me see the baby she holds in her arms. The child's eyes are bright and wide with emerald irises, surrounded by pale grey-toned skin. The child smiles upon seeing me, and I realize that when the baby smiles, it's eyes crinkle like Raven's do. The child begins to turn and fight the swaddle it's in, and I see that they baby's ears are slightly pointed, just like mine. The child wiggles and coos, locking it's wonder-filled eyes in my gaze.

My eyes travel from the baby to my love, who is reluctant to look me in the eyes. I reach my hand out and hold her cheek, and gently turn her head until her face meets mine. Her eyes are closed, and when she opens them, all I can see is blackness. The whites of her eyes, and even her irises are darkened to pitch. My mouth hangs open, but I am unable to speak. Her halo suddenly fades, and a black mass of her magic folds around her and the baby, and then she's gone. The only thing that remains where she stood is a small pill of thin papers, which almost fly away in the sudden breeze.

I speedily catch the floating papers and gather the remaining pieces in my hands. I sit on the ground of this place and look at the literature in my hands. The papers are all newspaper clippings; articles of different lengths, and even some headline stories. All of them seem to be from different papers, but all located in the Jump City area. I shuffle through the clippings and read the first headline I see: "SUPERHERO COUPLE WELCOMES FIRST CHILD", which is paired with a photo of Raven and I standing side-by-side, but without a child. The article reads of how we welcomed a baby girl January 3rd of the year I cannot see without the top of the newspaper. I smile at the fact that in this world, Raven and I have a child, and all seems well.

The next headline is from a different newspaper, and the sight of it makes me frown. "SUPERHERO BABY: A BEAST OF ALL SORTS!". I don't want to read it, but I do anyway. The article discusses Raven and I's backgrounds and deduces our child to be a demonic animal beast. The article "warns" the public of our offspring, and calls for the possible incarceration of our newborn. The picture that accompanies the article is a glowing, red-eyed Raven, using her most forceful powers to take down Brother Blood. Right beside her picture is a separate battle shot of me in full beast rage, claws out and teeth barred. Our child's picture isn't included, but the words are enough.

The wind picks up again and the newspapers fly away, and this time, I let them. My hands are shaking, and the world around me seems to be nothing but painful. My heart pounds, so much that I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. The pounding only gets louder, until something snaps.

I sit straight up so quickly that I become disoriented. I'm short of breath, and the dream I just had lingers in my mind. It takes me a few seconds before I acknowledge the pounding on my bedroom door. My head stops spinning just enough that I can stand, and I somehow manage to walk to my bedroom door. I hit the button beside the doorframe and the metal door slides open to reveal a concerned Raven. She enters without asking, and the door slides shut behind her.

"You were screaming, Gar. Are you okay?" she asks, keeping eye contact. I'm relieved to see that the whites of her eyes are back to normal, and her purple eyes are still bright as ever. I rub my faces with my hands in hopes that I could collect myself, but the world around me is still a blur. "Yeah, I'm good. Just a nightmare." I say, and she sighs. Out of nowhere, she reaches her hand out and places it flat against my bare chest. A black cloud of energy surrounds her hand and my chest, and my heart rate slows. Her touch is warm against my skin, and I can feel myself calming down.

She usually is hesitant to touch me, and I don't want to startle her, but I need her closer. Slowly, I wrap my arms around her and pull her to me. She keeps her hand on my chest, but I feel her other arm wrap around me in response. I rest my chin atop of her head and close my eyes, using my other senses to feel this moment. Her hair is damp, and I realize the smell that entered the room with her was lavender shampoo. I raise my right hand to the back of her hair and run my fingers through it. I feel her eyelashes flutter against my chest, so I pull my body backward to look at her.

Her eyes meet mine, and she looks angelic. Not like she did in my dream, but she looks lively and pure. She's my piece of heaven on earth. No matter her family origins, she's an angel to the rest of the world. I can't help but think of how her and I got to this point, and how long I've wanted this. She is what made this tower a home to me, and her leaving crumbled my comfort to ash. After she left, I fell into an ungodly depression. I missed missions where I was needed the most, all due to the lack of motivation. Most days, I couldn't even move. I wouldn't take care of myself, and my mental health deteriorated. Right now, I'm on an upswing, and I know it is because of the woman in front of me.

She tilts her head up and her lips meet mine, and I'm surprised that she made the first move. Our lips move together in harmony, and the feeling in my chest heightens. It's not the beast, it's not sexual; it's a warm feeling. It's a feeling of home. Behind my eyelids, images from my dream flash through so clearly that it feels like I'm watching it happen in front of me. I try to shut the negative parts out, but I can't forget the feeling of disgust when I saw the harsh words about our child. I want our future to be fulfilling; I know it won't be perfect, but I want us to be safe.

I pull away and look at her. Her eyes are curious, and I search her face for the words I want to say. I open my mouth, and I know for a fact I look stupid. I wait for the words to come to the surface, but they refuse. She draws the words out of me when she absorbs us in a cloud of darkness and moves us to somewhere unknown to me, but I have a feeling we aren't in the same dimension as before.

We lock lips again, and when she pulls away, I hold her face in my hands and move my thumb across her cheek. "I love you." I say, and her eyes widen. "Rae, you don't have to say it back. I swear. I just wanted to let you know." She looks hesitant, and her eyes looked panicked when they meet mine. However, nothing goes flying and nothing has exploded, so her emotions seem to be in check. "But I do mean it. You're absolutely incredible, Raven." I say, and she tightens her grip around me.

Over and over again, she is my home.

 **I know this was a short chapter, but I'm having some difficulties getting back into the swing of things… Don't forget to leave a song suggestion! Xoxo.**


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